Contagion
by Noda2
Summary: Sam contracts an alien virus.  Can they find a cure in time?  S/J


_**Contagion **_

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Copyright 2001 by Noda

**-2010 story notes-:** A story written some time ago that I'm finally getting around to posting here.

*Contagion*

~1~

Samantha Carter stepped through the Stargate, shaking off the bone-chilling cold, as she automatically looked around for the rest of her team. Colonel O'Neill was a few paces in front of her, already sliding sunglasses into place, as he too looked back to check on the status of his team. Seconds later, Daniel Jackson and Teal'c came through the event horizon, slightly disoriented as she had been moments before.

"Nice," Daniel said, giving the landscape an appreciative perusal, as he descended the stairs leading down from the Stargate.

Sam looked up at the gently swaying palm trees and had to agree. It wasn't the usual desert or evergreen forest they often found themselves in.

"I see GeneralHammond has finally granted your requests for a tropical planet, O'Neill," Teal'c stated with a barely concealed smile.

Sam couldn't help smiling herself. "I'm sure if the General could hand-pick the planets, he would have given this one to the colonel a _*looong*_ time ago," she teased. "Unfortunately, this one was just luck of the draw."

"And it's about damn time!" Jack said, taking a deep breath of the slightly humid, floral scented air. "Well, kids. As much as I'd love to look for the beach and work on my tan, we do have a mission to accomplish. Dr. Jackson? Any thoughts?"

Daniel gazed down at a rumpled print-out he held in his hands. "According to the information we have from the UAV, the remains of a village should be about six klicks in that direction," he said, pointing towards the sea.

"Klicks? Daniel, I'm impressed!" Jack taunted the archeologist.

"Most Polynesian cultures relied heavily on the ocean, so it would make sense their village was near the water," Daniel continued, ignoring Jack's attempt at harassing him.

Again, Sam found herself grinning. Over the years their bond had only grown stronger. Even Teal'c was picking up on their humor. Twelve months ago he would have been dead serious in his comments to the colonel. Now his observations were laced with sarcasm. Scary thought, but Jack O'Neill was rubbing off on all of them. And Sam decided it wasn't such a bad thing after all.

Jack and Daniel walked ahead of her, side-by-side, exchanging friendly banter she couldn't quite make out. Teal'c was in his customary position of bring up the rear, and she was caught up in the beauty of the day and the planet. Sam had to admit, when she'd first seen the MALP transmissions of this world, she'd been excited to come as well. Most people said their jobs were "no day at the beach," but today, hers was. She couldn't wait until they set up camp so she could remove her boots, and feel the warm, almost powdery sand between her toes.

"Major? Care to join us?" O'Neill's voice broke into her thoughts.

Sam turned her head in his direction, feeling guilty she'd let her mind drift so far off their mission. "Yes, sir."

Jack smiled at her, and Sam felt her face grow warm. She knew just from the look in his eyes he'd guessed where her thoughts had been. Clearing her throat, she tried to concentrate on her job.

"I'm getting strong readings of naquada, sir, and it seems to be concentrated in the direction of Daniel's village."

_"*Daniel's*_ village?"

"Well, not his exactly, but he's the one with the co-ordinates."

"O'Neill, have you not on several occasions affixed your name to discoveries made by SG-1?" Teal'c asked.

Now it was Jack's turn to look embarrassed. "Well, there _*was*_ that little mineral thing on P9X-445 I named 'O'Neillinium,' but I don't think that's the same as getting a whole village!"

"I think I found it!" Daniel yelled, effectively ending Jack and Teal'c's exchange. He was hacking through a tangle of over-grown vegetation with a machete, excitedly pushing errant vines out of the way as he cleared an opening large enough to crawl through. "Come on!" he called excitedly, already moving towards the abandoned community. Jack stepped through the opening with ease, but Sam found her pack hung up on a branch she couldn't seem to break free from. She knew she must look like something out of a comedy routine, and started to laugh, alerting Teal'c of her predicament.

"MajorCarter? Do you require assistance?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, still laughing. "Could you give me a hand?" Suddenly, Sam felt herself lifted into the air, pack and all, and set down on the other side of the opening.

"I didn't mean literally," she said, still a little shocked he'd picked her up so effortlessly.

"It was the most effective course of action," Teal'c replied, moving through the break in the foliage himself.

"You guys coming or what?" Jack called back to them.

"Yes, sir," Sam yelled, jogging to catch up to where Jack and Daniel waited for them. "I just had a little trouble with Audrey II back there."

"Audrey II?" Teal'c asked.

"Yeah, you remember. About six months ago we rented 'Little Shop of Horrors?'" Jack reminded him.

Teal'c's face was impassive for a moment, then he burst out laughing with a totally uncharacteristic belly laugh.

"Teal'c?" Jack asked, exchanging a concerned glance with Sam and Daniel. "You okay, buddy?"

"Audrey II. That was very humorous MajorCarter." It wasn't long before they all joined in Teal'c's mirth, shaking their heads at their Jaffa friend's awakening to Tau'ri humor. "It is almost as comical as the joke about Setesh."

Jack rolled his eyes at Sam, struggling to remain serious. "Well, on _*that*_ note, I believe Daniel is about to have kittens if we don't get back to the job at hand. Whaddya say, guys?"

Sam pulled her sensor from her vest pocket and began scanning. "Sir, the naquada readings are just about off the scale, and it seems like it's concentrated in that building over there."

Sam looked at the one structure that had remained intact. The rest of the village seemed to have been destroyed, either by time or natural disasters, but the stone building merely looked old. A light mold covered the stones in patches, obscuring some of the symbols carved on them.

"Daniel? What do you make of this?" Sam asked, distracting her friend from his study of one of the collapsed structures.

"Wow," he said, circling the building. "I didn't think Polynesians built with stones like this."

"Well, maybe not the ones on Earth, but apparently this culture did," Sam said. "This seems to be where all the naquada readings are emanating from. I'm not even picking up trace amounts in the soil. I'm guessing whatever quantities of the mineral is here, it was brought to this place."

"That could be," Daniel acknowledged, but his attention was clearly more on the symbols than what she was saying. "Polynesians on Earth didn't have a written language, either." Turning to her he added, "Did you know the Hawaiian's only have twelve letters in their alphabet?"

"No, I didn't know that," Sam said, wondering what that had to do with the naquada. "So, can you read this?"

"Well, it's obviously a temple of some sort, but to whom, I'm not exactly sure," Daniel said, rubbing his fingers lightly over the carved markings.

"A Goa'uld?"

"That would be my guess. If I'm reading this right, it mentions something about a 'tribute' which sounds like something a Goa'uld would demand."

"You mean like a tribute owed them?"

"Yeah," he said, moving to another wall, still running his fingers over the surface of the rock as if he could obtain the knowledge through osmosis. "That might account for the naquada you're reading since you haven't found any other evidence of it."

Sam was impressed. She was sure Daniel had been too distracted to hear what she'd said about the naquada. But then she knew, just because Daniel didn't acknowledge something, it didn't mean he hadn't heard or noticed it. He'd file it away in that incredible mind of his, and pull it out when it was needed.

"Well, expecting something in return for being their god sounds like a Goa'uld MO," Sam said. "So you think the naquada might have been brought here as payment for this Goa'uld?"

Daniel shrugged. "Best guess at this point."

Jack strolled up to the building Sam and Daniel were examining, P90 casually slung over one arm. "Whatcha got, kids?"

"Some kind of temple, sir. The naquada readings are all coming from this building. Daniel and I have been talking, and we think perhaps the mineral was brought here, possibly as a tribute to a Goa'uld."

O'Neill took off his sunglasses, squinted at the sun and rubbed his eyes. "I knew this place was too good to be true," he said, replacing the glasses once more.

"Well, Jack, just the fact there was an Earth-based culture living here is clue enough the Goa'uld were or are involved."

"A guy can always dream," he sighed, looking around. "So, any clue as to who it might be?"

"Not yet. But judging from the state of the village and the fact there's this treasure trove of naquada just sitting here, I would say whomever it is, or was, isn't around anymore."

"Well, that's one good thing, I suppose. Look, the sun's going down so we should probably set up camp."

"But Jack! We just got here! There's so much I need to study before. . ."

"Ah! It's not going anywhere, Daniel. You can get up nice and early tomorrow and play to your heart's content, but for now I want to get a camp established before dark, just on the off chance this place isn't as deserted as it seems."

Sam was about to add her protests to Daniel's, but Jack gave her a warning look. "That goes for you too, Carter."

~2~

Jack sat on the ground before their campfire, finishing up the last of his MRE. The more he ate the things, the more bland and unappetizing they became. When he realized in his life he'd probably consumed more rations than home cooked meals, he became even more disheartened. Good thing he wasn't a picky eater. Still, the thought of a steak roasting over the fire was driving him mad with hunger. Didn't Polynesians have luaus? How come they couldn't scare up a pig to roast? He had to stop this line of thought or he'd never get to sleep.

"Whew, warm night," Sam said, pulling on the front of her tank top, dragging Jack away from his thoughts about a cook-out. "This fire isn't helping either."

"Indeed, the temperature has not changed significantly since the sun has gone down," Teal'c agreed.

"It's a hot one," Daniel added between mouthfuls of semi-congealed MRE.

"I think I'm going to go for a swim," Sam said rising from the ground, dusting sand from her shorts. She, like the rest of the team, had opted for lighter clothing as soon as they began to set up camp.

"You really shouldn't go alone, Major," Jack reminded her.

"You're right, sir. Care to join me?"

The innocent invitation made Jack feel pushed between the proverbial rock and a hard place. On the one hand, the thought of a dip in cool water sounded great. The thought of seeing Carter with wet clothes clinging to her, on the other hand, didn't sound so great. Actually, it did. That was the problem. He was having a hard enough time not staring at her in her shorts and tank top without the material clinging to her body. He was about to decline her offer when Daniel yawned.

"Go on, Jack. I'm too tired. Plus I want to get an early start tomorrow."

"Teal'c?" Jack asked, hoping the Jaffa would agree to accompany them, acting as a buffer.

"I do not relish the sensation of immersing myself in great amounts of water. I shall remain here and keep watch."

_*Great,*_ Jack thought. _*Just me, Carter, moonlit beach and wet clothes. I am _*so*_ screwed!*_

He could handle this. Squaring his shoulders as he stood, he looked over to Daniel. "As long as you want to be up so early, you can take last watch."

"Fine," Daniel said, not even realizing Jack had meant it as a penalty for leaving him no options. How could he chastise the guy when he didn't get it?

Glancing over to Sam, he said, "lead on, Major."

Jack sat down in the sand to remove his boots and socks. He had to admit, even if being alone with Sam was a bad idea, the thought of a walk in the cool sand along the surf wasn't. She'd quickly shed her boots and was in the water even before he'd removed his footwear. She was standing in thigh-deep water, jumping with the waves as they rolled in. Watching her frolic in the water, he could easily imagine her as a child or a teenager, spending her vacations at some seaside resort. That is if Jacob ever took his kids on vacation. He had a feeling there hadn't been many outings for the Carter family.

"Come on, sir! The water's great!" she yelled as she moved further out.

"Don't go too far, Major!" he warned. "We don't know what could be lurking in those depths!"

"Don't be such a spoil-sport!" she called back, but heeded his advice nonetheless. He felt like a parent telling her to be careful, but the thoughts he had as he watched her were anything but parental. Her blonde hair had turned silver in the moonlight, and her smile lit up the night as much as the moon. It was playing havoc with his resolve to be professional. Why did the beach have to be so secluded from their camp?

Sam stood in the water with her hands on her hips. "Are you coming in or not?"

"Give an old man a break, Carter! We take longer to do things!" slipping off his final sock, he jogged down to the shore.

"Not bad for an old guy," Sam teased. "Come on, I'll race you to those rocks!"

Jack looked at the outcropping down the beach. It was quite some distance, but he was in good shape; he'd barely be winded by the time he beat her there. "You're on!" Before the words had even left his mouth, Sam was sprinting down the sand.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Jack yelled, taking off after her. She might have a head start on him, but his legs were longer and soon they were neck and neck. The rocks loomed closer and Jack was beginning to wonder if he really *would* win this contest. He'd be damned if he'd let her win! Putting on a last burst of speed, he reached the rocks a second before she did.

"Not bad for a young gal," he quipped, trying to catch his breath.

Sam too was breathing hard. "Okay, you won, but you have to admit, I almost had you there!"

"That's only because you cheated!"

"I prefer to think of it as creative manipulation," she laughed.

"I guess I should know better than to try and out-talk you, Carter. You and Daniel are the same-never at a loss for words. And if you've got this much energy, you can carry the tent tomorrow."

Sam just smiled as they walked back to their starting point.

"Well, now I do need a swim," Jack acknowledged, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Where I was before was nice," she said. "Not as many rocks."

As they continued down the beach, Jack couldn't help but notice how much it reminded him of Hawaii, Maui in particular. Looking over at Sam, it didn't take much imagination to envision her in the little black bikini he so often fantasized seeing her in. Especially in this setting.

God, he needed to get a grip! The next thing he knew he'd be grabbing her and they'd be reenacting the beach scene of "From Here To Eternity."

"Sir? Something wrong? You're awfully quiet."

_*Wrong? What could possibly be wrong, other than the fact it's becoming more difficult by the minute to be alone with you.*_ "Just thinking about what we need to get done tomorrow. I know Daniel's not going to leave until he has every last shred of data on this place. You won't be much better," he said with a grin.

"Well, I would like to get some soil and vegetation samples. Just because my sensor's not picking up any extra naquada, doesn't mean it's not there. Maybe the strong presence of it in the temple is masking other deposits."

It always amazed him how she could go from playful to serious in a matter of seconds. Maybe because in the back of her mind she was always thinking. Did that brain of hers ever get a rest? Jack looked around for Sam, but she was no longer at his side. In the reflection of the moon on the water, he saw her head bobbing amongst the waves and decided this was as good a place as any to cool off.

Diving into the water, he noticed it wasn't quite as saline as the oceans of Earth, but he still didn't want to swallow a mouthful. The wind was picking up, and consequently the waves as well. Just enough that he could try body surfing.

"Woohoo!" he yelled as he nearly washed up on shore.

"Sir? What are you doing?"

"Body surfing. Ever try it?"

"Uh, no, I haven't actually been to too many oceans before."

"Really? How many have you been to?"

"Counting this one? Two."

"Carter, you are missing out! Okay, next wave that comes, just lay out on the surface of the water and let the wave take you. It's a blast!"

Jack watched as Sam followed his instructions, catching a particularly good wave. She was a little further out than him, so when the wave approached, he caught it as well. There was a powerful undertow, but Sam was strong; he was sure she could handle it. Sitting up at the end of his ride, he noticed Sam kneeling in the shallow water, coughing. "Carter? You okay?" he called out.

Sam spat out more water, still gagging. "Fine, sir," she answered weakly. "If you don't mind, I think I'll sit the next one out."

"That's okay. Let's head back to camp. We really should get some sleep, anyway. You sure you're okay?" he asked. Even in the moonlight, she looked green.

"I just swallowed a little too much water," she said, not protesting when he helped her to her feet. She took a stumbling step forward and instantly his arm reached out to capture her waist, keeping her upright. "I'm fine, sir," she repeated, looking down at the arm he had still circled around her waist. Reluctantly, he pulled away, watching her make every effort to appear steady. He wanted to assist her, but he knew, the best way he could help her was to let her make it back to camp on her own. Him and his stupid ideas!

~3~

Sam was pretty much back to herself by morning. Taking her turn at a watch after Teal'c actually helped. Her stomach had been too queasy from seawater for her to sleep anyway. The only trouble was, she could tell Jack hadn't been sleeping either. She didn't need to be the rocket scientist she was to recognize he felt guilty for her mishap. And that's all it was. He would have felt the same remorse if it had been Teal'c or Daniel, right? She hoped she hadn't been the cause of his sleepless night.

Concentrating on her job at hand, Sam pushed her questioning thoughts to the back of her mind. She and Daniel were doing their best to decipher the language on the stones. Well, Daniel was working on the translation, she was trying to figure out if there was some kind of trick mechanism to open an entrance.

While he was working on the symbols, he continued to video tape the stones he was trying to read, hopefully to translate more of the words once they were back on Earth. Sam looked up and saw Daniel's camera inches from her face.

"Smile," he said, playfully.

Sam couldn't help but react to his behavior by producing a large grin. "Daniel, come on! You're supposed to be doing scientific research!"

"I am," he said, then the tone of his voice switched to that of a television interviewer. "So, Major Doctor Carter, what can you tell us about this temple?"

Getting caught up in his mood, Sam played the roll of the interviewee. "Well, what you see behind me is an excellent example of Polynesian architecture, unrivaled by anything on Earth. Oops! Can I say it's not on Earth?" she said, pretending to have let vital information leak out. "Anyway," she continued, "according to a _*very*_ knowledgeable archeologist friend of mine, Dr. Daniel Jackson, he feels this temple houses some fabulous wonders. The only trouble is, at the moment, we don't know how to enter it."

"Try 'open sesame,'" Daniel joked, one eye still to the video recorder.

Sam shrugged, and leaned against a corner stone. "Open sesame!" Sam's weight shifted slightly and to her amazement, she found she could push the stone into the temple. "Oh my, God! Daniel! It worked!"

"Uh, Sam, I think you just happen to find the one loose stone," he pointed out.

"Don't! You'll ruin the magic!" She laughed, pushing the rock with both hands.

"Right, like you'd believe in magic," Daniel said, laying the camcorder down to give her a hand. Between the two of them, they managed to push the rock into the interior of the temple. "After you," he said, motioning Sam forward. "It was your magic after all."

Sam crawled into a single room. It was much smaller than it looked from the outside, but that could be explained by the thickness of the stones. It was surprisingly light inside, with the sun streaming through a series of tiny windows that hadn't been apparent from the outside. The dust they'd stirred up was floating in the air, causing the shafts of sunlight to appear as if they were radiating from a statue sitting on a pedestal in the middle of the room.

"Wow," Sam said, speechless at the sight before her.

"Wow is right," Daniel agreed, joining her.

"Any idea who she is?" Sam asked, indicating the statue.

"I can't be certain, but my first guess would be Pele, the goddess of fire and volcanoes.

"Well, that's the source of our naquada," she confirmed. "That statue must be solid mineral."

"It would be worth a fortune to the Goa'uld," Daniel said. "Not to mention, us."

"So why's it still here? I mean if any Goa'uld came to the planet, surely they could sense it. I certainly felt it and I don't have much more than a trace of naquada in my blood. And what about the Goa'uld posing as Pele? Wasn't this probably made for her?"

"I would think so, but maybe she never came back for it. As Goa'ulds go, Pele would have been fairly minor. It could be some other "god" killed Pele and took over this planet."

"It seems odd they didn't just step in, don't you think? Why kill off the population?" Sam asked.

"We don't know the people were killed," Daniel pointed out. "I said it was one possibility. We may never know what happened them. I doubt even if I translate the writing on these walls it's going to tell us what happened to the people since obviously they were alive when this place was built.

"I should radio the colonel," Sam said.

"I'm going to see if I can film any of this in here."

Sam pressed the button on her radio. "Colonel O'Neill?" there was a brief silence, then,

_*Go ahead, Major.*_

"Sir, Daniel and I found a way into the temple. I think you and Teal'c better see this. It's incredible!"

_*We're on our way. O'Neill out.*_

"Oh my, God!"

"Daniel! What is it?" She was by his side in an instant, looking at the floor and what startled him. At their feet lay the skeletal remains of several Goa'uld. There was no question in Sam's mind they'd been Goa'uld-the skeletons of parasites were clearly wrapped around the spines of the hosts. "What do you suppose happened to them?"

"I have no idea," Daniel said, panning his camera to capture the image of the fallen bodies. "I don't know why, but this may be important later," he said, almost more to himself than Sam.

Hearing scuffling near the new entrance, Sam turned to see O'Neill crawling through the side of the wall. He was coughing slightly in the kicked up dust, as he moved out of the way in order for Teal'c to follow. Jack let out a low whistle as he looked at the statue before him.

"Impressive. This the source of you readings?"

"Yes, sir. I'm guessing that it's solid naquada."

"I bet the Goa'uld would kill to get their hands on that much of the stuff."

"Well, at least die for it," Daniel said.

"What're you talking about?" Jack asked, moving to where she and Daniel stood. Daniel stepped aside, showing him the remains. "Whoa! How many are there?"

"I can make out six for sure. Over the years something has disturbed the bones, scavengers of some kind would be my guess."

"O'Neill! I must leave. My symbiote is most distressed." Teal'c didn't even wait for Jack to dismiss him before he was making his way outside.

"Maybe this place is booby-trapped," Jack said, looking around the chamber. "Let's get out of here. We can discuss this once we're outside."

"Sir! We can't just leave the statue! It could power the naquada generator for centuries!"

"Carter! Now! It's too heavy, we couldn't carry it anyhow! Now move before this place goes all Indian Jones on us and seals us in!"

O'Neill had turned towards the entrance, but Sam couldn't resist trying to see if they could move the statue, at least to get it outside. She tugged with all her might, but she couldn't budge it; the mineral was just too dense.

"Do I have to make it an order, Major?"

"No, sir, I'm coming." Sam gave the statue one last longing look. There was so much that sculpture could change.

~4~

Sam sat in the briefing room, chin resting in her palm as her head throbbed. God, she had such a headache, and Daniel's rambling wasn't helping. It was basically the same information they'd discussed on the planet, reiterated for the general's benefit. Looking across the table, she noticed Jack was equally distracted, and she wondered if he had the same killer headache.

She'd felt it coming on during her post-mission exam, but at the time it had been slight, and she'd passed it off as too much sun on R4X-642. Now she wished she'd gotten something from Janet. The pain was becoming intense and the pounding at the back of her skull was unlike any headache she'd experienced before. It was probably fatigue. She never slept well on missions, and even though they were in a veritable paradise, there'd been plenty of work to do. The heat and humidity had no doubt taken their toll as well.

Sam's reverie was disrupted by General Hammond thanking Daniel for his report. He then turned to Dr. Frasier, inviting her comments on the team's post mission physicals.

"Everything looks fine, sir. I've given them all a clean bill of health. If anything, the time on the planet seems to have done them some good."

_*Ha!*_ Sam thought to herself. _*I've got the headache of the century and she says we're fine!*_ It was her own fault she realized. If she'd said something to Janet, she'd probably have given her something to take away the pain. Instead, Sam sat at the table feeling her mood turn sour as she unconsciously rubbed the back of her neck.

"Major Carter? Any more thoughts about the naquada you found?" Sam didn't react until she noticed everyone staring at her. Apparently it wasn't the first time the general had asked the question.

"Um, no, sir. Just that I think a team should be sent back to retrieve the statue. The quantity of solid mineral is staggering. It would take decades to mine and refine the amount of naquada in that sculpture."

"What, you're thinking of using the statue for its raw materials?" Daniel said, sitting up straighter.

"That is where its value lays," O'Neill said.

"What about its artistic value? It's a totally unique piece of artwork, not only from this culture but from any society we've seen! You can't just start chipping away at it!"

"Daniel," Sam said, trying to placate him. "You're right, it is a work of art, but it _*is* _what it's made out of that makes it valuable."

"And I suppose if you came across a treasure like King Tut's you'd melt it down to make a nuclear device!" he cried, looking around the room. A look between astonishment and disbelief graced his face as his gaze fell on each of his colleagues.

"If that's what we needed!" Jack said, his own voice raising in answer to Daniel's impassioned speech.

"I don't believe you people," Daniel said, shaking his head. "That statue has important cultural significance. It shouldn't be destroyed for the sake of experimentation!"

"Dr. Jackson," Hammond said, regaining control of the meeting once more, "This is a moot point. I haven't authorized a return trip to R4X-642, and until I've had a chance to review your reports and consider our options, no one is going to have access to the statue. Now, I think all of the pertinent information has been expressed at this time. Go home and get some rest, people. Dismissed."

Sam rose, feeling the pressure in her head increase as she warily glanced from Jack to Daniel. Neither had backed down and she wasn't about to let this fester between them.

"Look, guys, the general is right. The matter is out of our hands. If Hammond decides to bring the statue back, it's likely he'll send another team. As to what would happen to it if we get it, that decision lies with someone else as well."

Jack and Daniel exchanged looks. "She's right, you know," Jack said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "We're always going to have differing opinions on stuff like this, but there's nothing we can do about it. How 'bout I buy you a beer and you can tell me what a bore I am when it comes to all this art stuff?"

Daniel gave Jack an indulgent smile. "Sure, why not."

"Teal'c? Carter? You guys in?" Jack asked.

"I believe an evening away from the base would be most satisfying," Teal'c stated.

"How about it, Carter?"

Sam was rubbing the back of her neck again, this time she realized she'd been massaging the area most of the debriefing in an effort to relieve the pain. "Thanks, guys, but I think I'm going to go home. I've got this killer headache and maybe a nice long soak in the tub will help."

Jack nodded, looking slightly disappointed. It made her feel a little better he was going to miss her company. Actually, she was disappointed herself. A beer with them away from the constrictions of work would have been fun, but as distracted as she was, Sam knew she wouldn't be very good company.

"Maybe you should see the Doc about something for that," Jack said, looking around for Janet.

"I think I might do that. You guys have fun." There was a chorus of acknowledgment and farewells as she exited the room. Moving towards the elevators, Sam wondered if it really _*was*_ possible for a person's head to explode from pain.

~5~

Daniel popped the video tape he'd made of his recordings on the planet into his VCR, advancing until he came to the shots he'd taken of the temple. The camera had zoomed in, getting a close up of the alien writing, but due to the angle of the planet's sun, some of the text was unreadable.

"Damn," he muttered, backing the tape up and slowly advancing it, hoping to catch a glimpse of the last few characters.

"Hey, Daniel." He froze the tape, and looked up, surprised to see Sam standing in his lab with two huge Styrofoam cups of coffee in her hand. A smile broke out on his face, as he gestured for her to sit.

"One of those better be for me," he said, clearing off a spot on his desk for her to set the coffee down.

"Food of the gods," she said, gracing him with a smile of her own as she handed him a cup. "Speaking of gods, how are you coming with the deity du jour?"

Daniel slumped into his chair with a frustrated sigh. "Not so hot. A lot of the footage I shot didn't show up so well on tape."

"Can I help?" she asked, removing the plastic lid from her cup.

Daniel was a bit surprised by her offer. "Um, sure, but don't you have work of your own to do?"

"Well, yes and no. Without the statue to study, I really don't have anything pressing."

"And if you help me decipher the meaning of the temple, you might be able to convince the general to have the statue recovered," Daniel finished for her.

Sam's face flushed slightly, and her gaze slid away from his. "Guess I'm pretty transparent, huh?"

"No, I'm just getting to know how you think." After a moment he added, "You're with Jack on this one, aren't you? The only value you see in the statue is what it's made out of, not what it represents."

"I can see your point, Daniel, but I also know what that quantity of naquada is worth. If you want to talk about something truly priceless, it's that amount of mineral. Especially since it doesn't occur naturally on Earth."

"And I see _*your*_ point, but what about it being priceless in another way? This was the only significant piece of artwork we found in the village. What if it's all we ever find and it's destroyed to run a reactor?"

"What if this discovery would be what makes or breaks us in a war with the Goa'uld? Is the entire population of Earth worth _*one*_ alien statue? Their culture is already dead and gone. What if we could develop a weapon to defend ourselves, but didn't because it might destroy a single piece of art?"

Daniel's shoulders and mouth tightened. "You're siding with Jack," he stated, feeling they were ganging up on him.

"I guess in this instance, yes I am. But Daniel, no one's taking sides. We just see things from different perspectives. As a soldier I understand the strategic importance of this find. As a scientist, I want to discover the properties and applications of naquada. It's hard for me to be objective. Believe me, I do know how you feel about the cultural significance of the statue, but I think we all have to look at what would be the best use for it. Yes, it is a thing of beauty, but who's going to see it? We can't share this with the world. It'll never rest in some museum. Eventually it'll get sent to Area 51 to gather dust. But if we _*do* _use it in a military capacity, it could help save the lives of the people of Earth."

Daniel took a sip of his cooling coffee as he considered her words. He supposed she could be right, but there were something's he just couldn't bring himself to do. Like when Bauer ordered Sam to build the naquada-enhanced bomb. She'd fought him every step of the way, and yet, in the end, it hadn't mattered. He was in a similar situation. He could argue all he wanted, but ultimately, the decision was out of his hands. He didn't like it, but if he worked with them on this one, maybe he could control the degree to which the statue was destroyed.

Sighing he said, "Okay, but start with breaking off a toe or something, all right?"

Sam smile weakly, rubbing her temples, then moving her hand around to the back of her neck. "Thanks, Daniel. You know I'll do what I can to keep the statue in tact. Then again, we don't even know if Hammond is going to see fit to retrieve it."

"If he doesn't, you know the higher ups are going to want it. I think the matter is already out of his hands."

"You're probably right," Sam agreed, shaking her head slightly.

"You still have a headache?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah, can you believe it? I've never had one hang on like this. I tried all my "cures," but nothing seems to help. It feels like my brain's on fire."

"Have you talked to Janet?"

"She gave me some ibuprofen yesterday. Maybe I just need a stronger dose."

"Why don't you go see her now. In the meantime, I'll get started on the translation," Daniel said.

Sam rubbed the back of her head again. "I hate being a wimp, but I'm finding it hard to think with all this pain. Maybe I will see if Janet's got anything stronger. I'll be back in a minute."

Daniel watched her slide off the seat and walk rather unsteadily towards the door. "Sam? You okay? You want me to go with you?"

She put her hand out, bracing herself against the wall. "Thanks, but I'll be all right. Just a little dizzy. I guess I stood up too fast."

Daniel had watched her rise and she hadn't moved too quickly. A part of him knew he shouldn't let her brush him off, but he also knew Sam well enough to know she didn't like being hovered over. He'd give her time to make it to the infirmary, and call to see that she made it. He hoped it was nothing serious. Sam often experienced headaches from the pressure she put herself under, but he'd never seen her suffering like this.

~6~

Janet looked up from her paperwork as a shadow crossed her desk. Seeing Sam, a smile broke out on her face, but soon faded as she noted the appearance of her friend. She was pale with dark circles rimming her eyes. Eyes that were constricted in pain.

"Sam? What's wrong?"

"Just this darn headache," she said with a sheepish smile. "I thought I could handle it, but it keeps getting worse."

"The medication I gave you didn't help?"

"Some, but it never completely took the pain away."

"That was a pretty strong dose," Janet said, punching a few keys on her computer keyboard, double checking Sam's records. "That should have knocked out any pain you were experiencing. Plus, there was a mild sleep aid in it. That's why I told you not to take it until you'd driven home."

"It sure didn't help me sleep," Sam said, her hand moving to massage the back of her head once more.

"I can see that. I know you're prone to headaches, but this is unusual even for you. Why don't you let me take another look at you?"

"Is that really necessary?" Sam asked. "I've already blown off enough work today."

"It never hurts to be safe," Janet said. "I could make it an order," she reminded her.

"Yeah, okay. Where do you want me?"

"Bed three. I just want to wash my hands; I'll be with you in a moment."

Janet bent over the sink trying to keep an open mind. _*It's probably nothing,*_ she told herself. Shaking her head, she realized it was almost easier to perform surgery on her friends than it was to try to treat some nagging illness. In a life-or-death situation her path was clearly laid before her, but in circumstances like this, it was more deductive reasoning, and more often then not, there was just no explanation for symptoms.

"So," Janet said a little too brightly, "yesterday you said this started coming on during the debrief?"

"Well, that's when it became worse," Sam admitted.

"Don't feel bad, they give me headaches, too," Janet said with a smile, producing her penlight.

"Not like this, I hope," Sam said, wincing at the light flashed in her eyes.

"I take it that hurt?"

"You might say that," Sam answered through clenched teeth.

"How about the lights in the room? Are they bothering you?"

"Not particularly. But the sun seemed a little bright this morning."

Janet nodded and made some notes. "Sam, I'd like to take another blood sample." She held up her hand to stop the protest she knew was coming. "Yes, I do need it. Maybe I missed something yesterday."

Sam sighed, slumping as she automatically extended her left arm. "You know, after all the blood draws lately I'm feeling like I'm about a quart low."

Janet smiled as she tightened the rubber band around Sam's bicep. "You're starting to sound a lot like a certain colonel we know."

Sam smirked. "Yeah, I guess I am." She looked away as Janet inserted the needle in her vein. "You'd think I'd be used to this by now," Sam said.

"At least you're better about it than the men. Really, I don't know how half these guys make it in the military being as squeamish as they are."

Sam merely smiled at her comment. Normally they'd start a round of good-natured male bashing, but today her friend remained silent. A testament to the degree the pain was distracting her.

"I want to check your blood pressure," she told her, and Sam held out her opposite arm.

"Can't you just give me something for the pain? I told Daniel I would try to help him with his translations."

Janet was silent for a moment as she pressurized the cuff, listening with her stethoscope. "Your blood pressure's up a little, but not much. And I didn't know you could read that text Daniel found. I was under the impression even he couldn't make much sense of it."

"I just thought two heads were better than one," Sam shrugged.

"You're really bent on getting that statue, aren't you?" Janet said, hands on her hips.

"You can't imagine the possibilities if we had that amount of naquada. _*I*_ can't imagine it. And yeah, I am set on getting it."

"I know you're anxious to get back to work, but I really don't feel right about giving you more medication until I have the results from your blood back. I've rushed the tests, so it shouldn't be much longer. Think you can hold out a bit more?"

Sam rubbed her temples, and took a deep breath. "Do I have a choice?"

"I guess not," Janet said with a smile. "I'll give you something as soon as I can. In the mean time, why don't you lie down and close your eyes. If you doze off, it might be a good thing."

"Janet, I. . ."

"Don't argue with me. Those translations aren't going anywhere. I know it might be asking the impossible, but try to relax, okay?"

Sam sighed in defeat as she lay back on the bed. "I'll see what I can do."

~7~

Jack wandered down the hall of level 21, whistling a few notes of some nameless tune. He was headed to Sam's lab to ask her some questions about their last mission, but in truth, it was just an excuse to go see her. How ridiculous was that? That he had to invent some pretext to see her? He could drop in on Daniel or Teal'c without a clear motive, but with Sam, it seemed he always had to have some defense ready to justify visiting her.

Knocking on her door, he was disappointed to hear no call from within to enter. He tried the door knob, but it was locked.

_*That's odd,*_ Jack thought to himself. He was sure she was on the base as her name had been signed in a few ahead of him. Deciding Daniel might have some clue as to her whereabouts, he headed back towards the elevators. Gazing into the infirmary on his way past, he noticed. a pair of familiar booted feet sticking out from a partially curtained off area. How was it he could even recognize her feet now?

Stepping into the medical bay, he noticed it was indeed his 2IC laying on the bed. "Hey, Doc!" he called out, catching Janet's attention. "What's up with Carter?"

Janet pulled him into her office. "Colonel, I would appreciate it if you'd keep your voice down. I'm hoping Sam will get a bit of sleep while her tests are being run."

"What's wrong with her?" he asked, feeling his stomach tighten at the thought she might be ill.

"To be honest, I'm not sure. She's still got the headache she had yesterday and the medication I gave her should have knocked her out last night. But she says she didn't sleep, and the pain never receded."

Jack turned to look out the windows of Janet's office. Even at this distance he could see Sam's eyes were closed, her brow furrowed in pain. "Can't you give her something else?"

"I'd like to, but until I have the results back, I don't want to run the risk of aggravating the situation."

Jack nodded his head in agreement.

"How about you? Any headaches?"

"Me? Nah. A slight hangover maybe, but that's all."

Janet looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I took the guys out for a beer," Jack explained. "Daniel and I kind of got into it with our usual debate over the merits of the military verses academia, and we decided to bury the hatchet in a pitcher of beer. Well, several, actually. Beers, that is."

Janet smiled. "Well, that kind of headache I can treat. Do you need something?"

"Thanks, but I took some Advil at home. So," he asked, switching the focus of the discussion back to Sam, "it seems kind of odd she's the only one with this bad headache thing."

"Yes, it does. Especially when her blood work was clean yesterday."

Jack could see Janet was concerned over Sam's condition and it wasn't exactly filling him with confidence. A nurse knocked on the door, handing the doctor a small sheaf of papers.

"Major Carter's test results, ma'am."

Janet off-handily thanked the lieutenant as she quickly scanned the results. "This can't be right," she mumbled, shuffling through the papers and reading the outcome once more.

"Doc?" Janet had tuned him out and he had to touch her arm before she looked up at him. "What is it?"

"It seems she's contracted some kind of virus," she answered, moving to her computer to check her current results against the originals. "This definitely hadn't shown up yesterday."

"So, it's something she caught here?" Jack asked.

"No, it's like nothing I've ever seen before. I would have to say it didn't show up yesterday as it must have some sort of incubation period. You sure you don't feel anything?"

"I swear," Jack said holding up his hands. "If I was in the kind of pain Carter's in, you'd know about it."

Janet smiled briefly at his statement then said, "Colonel, I'd like to retest your blood and the rest of SG-1. Maybe you're naturally immune. If that's the case, I might be able to find some way to use that to help Sam. In the mean time, I'm going to run a MRI on her, see if this virus is causing any damage. After you've had your blood drawn, would you mind sending Dr. Jackson and Teal'c?"

"Sure," Jack said, as Janet dismissed him on her way to Sam. God, he hated the thought of another needle being stuck in him. But realizing it might help Sam, there was no question he would comply without complaint.

Jack sat in Janet's office along with Teal'c and Daniel waiting for some word. Either from Janet or a nurse with their own results. Jack was drumming his fingers on the desk as Daniel crossed and uncrossed his arms in frustration. Teal'c merely turned his attention from one man to the next, seemingly fascinated by their different approaches to waiting.

"Does this behavior make time move faster for you?" he asked his teammates. Jack stopped his drumming and Daniel took a seat.

"No," Jack acknowledged, "But at least it's something to do."

"I, too, feel powerless to help MajorCarter. However, I do not believe excessive amounts of physical movement will improve her prognosis."

Jack and Daniel exchanged looks, wondering how to describe nervous energy to the continually calm Jaffa. Fortunately, before Jack could begin an explanation, Janet entered her office. All three men were now on their feet, waiting for her to speak.

"It's the good news/bad news scenario," she said, trying to keep her tone light. "On the good side, none of the rest of you seem to have the virus in your system. On the bad side, since none of you appear to be carriers, I can't manufacture a vaccine."

"Well, how is that possible?" Daniel asked. "Sam didn't do anything we didn't do. She was with us the whole time."

"MajorCarter and ColonelO'Neill were gone for some time during the evening," Teal'c reminded them.

Janet gave Jack a pointed look.

"We were swimming," he quickly stated. "And we weren't gone all that long!"

Janet and Daniel shared a look before the doctor cleared her throat, returning to the topic at hand. "Did anything happen to Sam that didn't to you?"

"Well, we were both in the water," Jack recalled. "Oh, and Carter swallowed a mouthful when a wave crashed over her. But I got some in my mouth as well and you said I don't have this virus."

"Maybe she swallowed more water," Janet speculated.

"That has to be it," Daniel said. "Teal'c and I didn't go in the water, so that would explain why we wouldn't have the virus."

"Still, with as virulent as this pathogen seems to be, I would think he'd have some symptoms, and there's no evidence of it in his blood work."

"Didn't you say it took a while to show up in Sam? What if it's taking even longer to show up in Jack?"

"Thanks, Daniel. That's just what I needed to hear."

"I'm sorry, Jack, but maybe that's why it hasn't presented itself yet. Can you think of any place she might have been without us?"

"The temple," he said, grasping at straws. Not that he wanted Carter to be alone in this, but after seeing the kind of pain she was in, he was in no rush to join her.

"But I was there. We all were at one point," Daniel said.

"What about the skeletons?" Jack asked. "Those Goa'uld obviously died from something. You going to tell me they all took a big swig of water and crawled in there to die?"

"I don't know what killed them," Daniel stated. "Maybe they're totally unrelated."

"And maybe what killed them is what's affecting Carter," Jack snapped back at him.

"Then why not us?" Daniel continued to argue.

"I remember my symbiote being extremely agitated in the chamber," Teal'c announced.

Daniel turned his attention to the Jaffa. "You think it was something in the temple?"

"It would seem that whatever this disease is, it might affect only the Goa'uld," Teal'c said.

"Why do you say that?" Jack questioned.

"The fact neither you nor DanielJackson nor myself carry the virus. My symbiote reacted to something in the chamber. Possibly what killed the Goa'uld, but since my Prim'ta is not joined with me, I did not become ill."

"Okay, wait a minute," Jack said, waving his arms to try to halt the conversation. "What has this got to do with Carter? She's not a Goa'uld. Why would she get it?"

"The protein marker," Daniel said. "Maybe that makes her susceptible? It's happened before with Machello's devices."

"Gentlemen, at this point it's all just wild speculation. What I need to help Sam are facts. From what you've told me, the water seems to be the most likely culprit, but until I have a sample, I can't make any determinations about. . . "

"I'll talk to Hammond," Jack said, on his feet before Janet finished her sentence.

"Not so fast, Colonel. I don't think SG-1 should be the team to handle this. Even though the rest of you don't seem to be affected, the water could be considered highly toxic. I want a hazardous materials team to do the collection."

"A hazmat team for a little water?"

"Sir, I know you want to help, but the best thing you can do for Major Carter right now is to follow procedure. And I wouldn't allow you to go anyway," she added. "I'm keeping you here for observation."

"What? Doc! Come on! I don't have even a _*smidgen*_ of a headache! There's no need to keep me here!"

"Humor me, sir. Teal'c, you and Dr. Jackson are free to go, but I'd like you to stay on base, just in case we find anything."

"How come they don't have to stay here?" Jack protested.

"They didn't go swimming. You did."

Jack dropped back into his chair. _*Didn't I say going swimming with Carter was a bad idea?*_ he chided himself. However, this wasn't exactly the type of repercussion he'd been worried about.

~8~

Jack sat on the bed next to the one Sam occupied. He'd removed his boots, but that was his only concession to being confined to the infirmary. He was going to be ready to bolt the second Fraiser gave him the all-clear, and he knew it wouldn't be long. Well, he hoped it wouldn't be, anyway.

He had a crumpled ball of paper he continually threw in the air with one hand, then caught with the other. Soon, two more balls of paper joined the first and he juggled the lightweight spheres, only occasionally missing one. He'd just leaned over to recover an errant piece of paper when he heard Sam stifle a moan.

"Sir? I know you're bored, but would you mind not doing that? It's extremely aggravating."

Jack looked down at the crunched up paper in his hands. Realizing it probably did bug her, he placed the papers on a night stand. Still fidgety, his fingers wound and unwound themselves with each other. The lighting in the infirmary had been lowered to accommodate Sam's recent sensitivity, but even in the low light he could tell she saw him squirming by the look she fixed on him. It was the same look his mother had given him all his life.

"Sorry," he apologized before she could speak.

"Sir? I'm sorry I got you into this," she said quietly. Her voice was low, laced with pain.

"It wasn't you. Doc Fraiser's the one who imprisoned me here."

"You know what I mean. If I hadn't insisted on a swim, neither one of us would be here. I thought Daniel was the one who always got into trouble," she laughed. The action must have caused her even greater pain as a barely suppressed groan escaped her lips. "Guess laughing isn't allowed," she added wryly, taking a deep breath and swallowing before she exhaled.

"Carter? You okay?" Jack asked, moving to the side of her bed.

"Just great," she responded through clenched teeth.

"Maybe I should get the Doc? Get you some more drugs?"

"Nice thought, but they're not working."

Jack felt helpless, not having a clue what to say or do to ease her pain. His hand twitched, longing to reach out and touch her, but he was worried someone would walk in on them, misinterpreting his gesture of comfort.

_*What the hell,*_ he thought, reaching out to take Sam's hand. She seemed to know what he was trying to express through his contact, as a slight smile graced her lips.

"Thank you," she whispered, her hand tightening slightly on his. _*The pain must come in waves,*_ he thought, as she alternately grasped and released his fingers. He found himself stroking the back of her hand with his thumb, wishing he could do more.

"Try to get some rest, Carter. That's an order."

"Yes, sir," she murmured, closing her eyes. "If you'll do the same. I really hope you don't get this," she added.

"Well, it's not on my list of top ten ways to get a vacation," he answered with a small smile. Snagging a chair with his foot, Jack pulled it closer and sat down, refusing to release her hand.

It wasn't long before he found himself yawning, his head starting to bob as he fought against the pull of sleep. His efforts were in vain as the next thing he was aware of was Janet gently shaking his shoulder.

"Colonel," she said quietly.

Jack opened his eyes, blinking, confused as to his whereabouts for a moment. He realized he was still holding Sam's hand and gave the doctor a sheepish look as he disengaged his fingers.

Janet gave him an understanding smile. "I'm sure it helped, sir. More than anything I've been able to do for her. How about you? How are you feeling?"

Jack stood, stretching his cramped muscles, feeling his spine pop with each movement. "Fine, I guess. Well, the night in the chair didn't do much for me, but if you mean do I have a headache, the answer is no."

Janet's brow furrowed. "I would have thought you'd be showing symptoms by now."

"Does that mean I can go?" Jack asked hopefully.

"Not so fast, Colonel," she said, placing her hand on his chest to prevent his escape. "I've got the results back from her CT scan and it doesn't look good. I'm going to do a cranial MRI and I. . ."

"And you want to do the same to me," he finished for her. God he hated those things! Did she have any idea how hard it was for him to lay still for that long? "Well, if it'll help Carter," he conceded.

"It will, sir. Plus, if yours varies significantly from hers, or your last scan, we should have positive proof if you're being affected as well."

Jack sat back down in the chair, rubbing his eyes and face. "Who goes first?"

"Since Sam's managed to fall asleep, why don't we start with you. Besides, that will get you out of here faster."

Jack nodded his head in agreement. He _*did*_ want to be released from the infirmary, but at the same time he didn't want to leave Sam. He had the excuse of coming back to check on her results, he reasoned. Once again he found himself needing some ulterior motive to see her. Would there ever be a time he could just act normal around her without worrying he was starting rumors?

~9~

Sam lay still, fighting off the sense of claustrophobia the MRI scanner always gave her. At least it was just her head this time. If she closed her eyes she could almost imagine she was somewhere else. That was until she felt the cold, hard surface of the gantry beneath her, or heard the hum of the machine.

She had to admit she was a little scared. She'd put up a brave front for Janet and her teammates, but she knew this amount of pain wasn't normal, even if she was sick. The drilling pain that intensified, then receded was like nothing she'd ever experienced. The question was, would it get worse? Surely something this painful had the potential to be damaging. In what way, she couldn't be sure.

Resisting the urge to move, she thought of the colonel. Janet had informed her he'd undergone the procedure prior to herself. She knew how he hated the test-worse than herself-as it was almost an act of God for him to not move in some fashion for that length of time.

So far, he seemed to be immune to whatever it was she had. For that she was grateful. She wouldn't wish this pain on her worst enemy. _*Well, maybe the Goa'uld,*_ she thought to herself, trying not to smile at the idea. She'd also been grateful for the colonel's silent support. She wished she could tell him what it had meant to her to feel his hand join with hers. His warm, firm grip grounded her, reminding her of the bond they shared-the bond they all shared. Still, there was a part of her that longed to believe it was more than just a CO expressing concern for his subordinate. That it was "Jack" comforting "Sam." It had been risky, she knew, should someone see them, but it had been worth the gamble. No doubt she wouldn't have slept if she hadn't felt his reassuring presence.

"All set," Janet announced, as the machine expelled Sam.

"When will you have the results?"

"We should know something within the hour. How are you feeling?"

"Outside of the headache, fine. I guess I thought if I had some kind of alien virus the rest of me would feel as bad as my head."

Janet helped her to sit up. "Well, the key word here is 'alien.' Until I have some idea of what it's doing to you I can't even begin to think of a treatment. All I can do for now is try to alleviate some of the pain you're in."

"I know you're trying, Janet, but I hate to tell you, it's not working."

Janet smoothed her hand along Sam's arm. "I know. I'm still hesitant to give you something stronger. Once this last batch of tests comes back, hopefully I'll have a few more options." Sam tried to stand up, but Janet held her down. "I don't want you moving around right now. Who knows what's going to intensify this?"

"Janet, I told you, other than the headache, I feel fine," Sam protested. "I can't lie around anymore!"

"You sound like someone else who was just here," Janet said with a knowing smile.

"Me and half the base!" she countered, knowing what Janet was hinting at.

"He's worried about you, Sam," Janet said, choosing to ignore her attempt at deflecting attention away from Jack.

"They're all worried about me."

"Sam," Janet said earnestly, "you know what I mean. The man didn't leave your side all night."

_*All night? He'd stayed with her even after she'd fallen asleep?*_ "He would have done the same for any of us," she said. On top of everything else, she didn't want to add more grist to the rumor mill. Fortunately, Janet let the subject drop.

"I'd still like you to take it easy. You don't have to sleep, but I want you in that bed so I can keep my eye on you."

Sam knew it was pointless to disagree with her. She might be her friend, but she knew better than to argue with Janet when she was in doctor mode.

As she entered the briefing room, Sam noticed everyone had already gathered around the table. For a moment, she felt awkward at having her test results announced to the assembly. Realizing they were there as her friends as well as colleagues, she relaxed a bit. Still, it was a bit disconcerting knowing she was the center of attention.

"Major Carter," General Hammond greeted her with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

Torn between assuring her commanding officer with a lie, and telling him how she really felt, Sam opted for downplaying the pain she was in. "I've been better, sir. Thank you for asking."

Hammond gave her a look that told her she hadn't fooled him, anymore than she had the rest of the occupants of the room.

"Please have a seat," he told her. "Doctor? Would you care to begin?"

As she took a seat next to Daniel, Janet glanced at Sam, and she could tell by the empathetic expression on the doctor's face, things didn't look good.

"Sir, to begin with, I'd like to say after retesting all the members of SG-1, I find it's only Major Carter who's shown signs of having contracted this virus."

Hammond gave the doctor a brief smile. "At least that's one good thing. Please, continue."

Janet cleared her throat as she passed out copies of Sam's latest CT scans and MRIs as well as duplicates of previous tests. "As you can see from the comparison of Major Carter's last scans to the ones I've done today, there's been a significant change." Sam's eyes widened at the variation in colors represented on the papers before her. She was no medical doctor, but even she could see something had changed. Looking up, she noticed Janet turning the colonel's sheets in the right direction, and she smiled. For a moment, the slight panic she was beginning to feel was abated.

"The area affected is the portion of the brain that controls motor functions, such as speech, reasoning and cognitive abilities, social interaction. However, the portion of her brain that controls autonomic functions seems to be unaffected." Janet's gaze left General Hammond's and she focused on the table, avoiding looking across to her friend.

"Great, I'll be a mental vegetable but I won't forget how to breathe," Sam bit out. Her caustic words caused Janet to meet her gaze.

"Sam, I don't know that that's what will happen. I'm only saying it _*appears*_ as though there's been some changes in those areas of your brain."

"Oh, come on, Janet! These scans clearly show things have changed! It's probably just a matter of time before these symptoms manifest themselves!"

Janet looked back down at the table, shuffling the papers in front of her. "Probably," she admitted quietly.

"Well, there's got to be something you can do!" Jack exclaimed.

"Colonel, I can't even identify what it is, much less come up with a vaccine for it. All I know is it's behaving in a manner typical of viruses. That's all I have to go on. Maybe if I knew _*how*_ she was infected I'd have a better idea of how to treat her."

Sam sat in a daze. The continued argument between the colonel and the doctor went unnoticed as she tried to comprehend what this could mean. If it was possible, the pain in her head had intensified. Well, now she knew why her head hurt so much. The little bastards must be eating through her brain! She shuddered, wanting to scream at the thought. It was something straight out of a horror movie, and there was nothing she could do about it! Why the hell had she gone to that damn planet? She'd been just as excited as the colonel to have a mission on a tropical planet. Now it was going to kill her!

And why just her? Not that she'd wish her misfortune on the others, but there was a part of her that _*was*_ resentful she'd been the one to fall victim to whatever pathogen inhabited the planet. The walls of the briefing room felt as though they were closing in on her. This couldn't be happening! Sure, she knew the dangers of traveling to other planets. Could there _*be*_ a more hazardous occupation? But she always thought if she died on some alien world it would be at the hands of an enemy, in the line of duty. Not some insidious virus that would destroy her from the inside out.

She had to get out of there, go somewhere private where she could think this through. While she _*could*_ still think, she reminded herself bitterly. Sam stood, papers still clenched in her hands as she practically ran for the exit. Peripherally, she heard the general call,

"Major, you haven't been dismissed!"

For a fraction of a second she reacted to the authority in his voice, before running down the hall towards the elevators. Again, she heard someone call her name, but she ignored the sound. She needed air. And space. And she wasn't going to get it 28 levels beneath a mountain.

~10~

Jack was stopped mid-sentence as Carter stood, running for the door. Even the general's command hadn't stopped her flight. Without thinking, he rose to follow her.

"Colonel?" Hammond questioned.

Halfway out the door, Jack stopped, turning back to his CO. "General? Permission to. . ."

"Dismissed," he said, waving him the rest of the way out of the door.

Jack ran out into the corridor but Sam had already disappeared. He heard the sound of running feet coming from the left, and knew she was heading for the elevators.

"Carter!" he called, but she ignored him, same as she had the general. He ran after her but was seconds too late as the doors closed just as he rounded the corner. Watching the numbers on the display panel, Jack realized she was heading to the surface. He was fairly sure she wouldn't leave the base, but once she was topside, she could go almost anywhere.

Jack repeatedly pressed the "up" button, even though he knew it wouldn't call the lift any faster.

"Jack! Wait up!" he heard Daniel call. He turned to see Teal'c and Daniel jogging down the hallway. "Do you know where she went?" Daniel asked, slightly breathless once he reached him.

"Topside, from what I can tell." Jack ran a hand through his hair as he paced in front of the elevators. "Jesus, she could have gone anywhere!"

"Why didn't Janet let her know before the briefing?" Daniel asked. "Hell of a way to find out."

"Safety in numbers?" Jack offered.

"Yeah, but safety for whom?" Daniel wondered as the doors to the elevator finally opened.

Jack continued his pacing within the car of the elevator, squeezing out the minute the doors opened to the first level.

"You guys see Major Carter?" he called to a couple of startled SFs manning the main entrance.

"Yeah, she headed up into the woods. She didn't even sign out," a young lieutenant grumbled.

"Thanks," Jack yelled back at him as the three men ran in the direction he'd indicated.

"Hey! You guys need to sign out, too!"

"We'll be back in a minute!" Daniel called out, catching up with Jack.

"It's getting dark. We'll probably have better luck if we split up," Jack instructed.

"Would it not be best to allow MajorCarter time to adjust to DoctorFraiser's diagnosis on her own, O'Neill?"

"If she was still in the SGC, I'd probably agree with you, Teal'c. But she's not thinking too clearly right now."

Teal'c lowered his head in acceptance, moving off to the right as Daniel headed left, leaving him the path to the center. _*Of course it has to be the steepest trail,*_ he groused to himself as he climbed over several boulders. Actually, he probably had the best chance of finding her. This was the most obvious choice, and in her current mental state, Sam probably wasn't thinking of strategy and hiding. Jack wondered briefly if that was why Teal'c and Daniel had left him this option, assuming he'd be the one to find her.

As he neared the crest of the hill, he began calling her name. Probably not a good idea if she really didn't want to be found, but he was betting on her innate need to respond to her commanding officer.

"Carter!" he called again, still with no answer. He was about head in a different direction when he saw a flash of her blonde hair as she scooted further back into a recess in the rocks.

"Hey, Carter," he said, his tone light, as if he'd run into her on a street corner. "Ya kinda worried us for a minute there," he said, crouching down next to her.

"Sorry, sir. I just needed some time alone."

Jack didn't miss the hint that she still wanted to be alone, but settled down next to her anyway, pretending not to have picked up on what she was trying to say. He could tell she'd been crying and the thought shocked him. In the years he'd known her, he'd never seen her cry. Not out and out sobbing. He'd seen her get emotional, her eyes well up, but he'd never seen her actually cry. Jack could tell she was embarrassed he'd found her out as she surreptitiously wiped at her eyes and cheeks.

"Ya know," he started. "When my kid died, I would have given anything to be able to cry." He picked up a stone and began turning it between his fingers. "I think if I'd been able to, I might not have lost Sara." He turned and looked her in the eyes. "It's a good thing, Carter."

Sam's gaze dropped to her boots. "Yes, sir."

"You don't sound convinced."

"Well, sir, it is a little embarrassing to have your CO find you bawling."

"You weren't exactly bawling, Carter."

"You missed most of the waterworks," she tried to joke, but it fell flat.

Jack looked down at the stone in his fingers. "Would you have minded if it was Daniel that saw you?"

"No, maybe, I don't know," she shrugged, clearly uncomfortable with his line of questioning. He knew why she would let Daniel see her cry. He wasn't in the military, or her commanding officer. There were times he'd give anything just to be her friend and not have so many barriers between them. Now was one of those times, and he found himself resentful he couldn't hold her and tell her everything was going to be all right.

"You didn't hear all Janet had to say," he said, getting her to turn towards him again.

"I heard enough. This. . .stuff, what ever it is, is eating through my brain and I'm going to end up a vegetable. I'll never look at a salad the same way again," she laughed, the sound was hollow.

"She didn't say that. She _*did*_ say it was a possibility you could come out of this completely intact.

Sam snorted. "We both know what the chances of that are." Jack didn't have an assurance for her that didn't sound trite. "You know what the worst of this is? Nothing in this world or even the others we've been to terrifies me like the thought of losing my mind. My ability to reason. This is all I am! All I know!"

"Sam, it's a thought that would scare the hell out of anybody!"

"You don't understand," she said, shaking her head. "Sam Carter is smart. That's what she is. That's _*who*_ she is." She took a deep breath and continued. "All my life it's been the only thing that's set me apart. I was always the new kid, or the geeky kid, or the quiet kid. I was never popular, never thought of as attractive, but I _*was*_ smart. Even if I didn't go to the prom, I knew, in the long run, I'd be better off than those kids who snubbed me because I had a brain. I was going places they were never going to go. Actually, that part turned out to be true," she smiled genuinely for the first time. "If that's gone, what is there left?"

Jack was speechless. Did she really think so little of herself that she thought the only reason people liked her-cared about her-was because she could figure out some math problem for them?

"Carter, that is _*so*_ not true! I mean, yeah, you're smart, but there's so much more to you than that!"

"Like what? I don't have a family to speak of. I don't do anything that doesn't involve science or the military in one way or another. It _*is*_ all I am."

He knew she wasn't fishing for compliments. She really had no idea what she meant to him. How he saw her as more than his 2IC, the whiz kid in some lab on level 21. He felt his palms start to sweat and he dropped the rock he was fiddling with to wipe his hands on his pants legs. Why was it so hard to tell her just seeing her made him feel better? That one of her smiles made his day? That even if she never performed another experiment in her life she would still be the most important thing in _*his*_ life. He had to tell her, let her know she _*was*_ beautiful, that those stupid kids hadn't known what they were missing by snubbing her. That the men she'd known as an adult were idiots for letting her slip away. How lately he'd considered himself among them, always falling back on the excuse of regulations. He would tell her. The time was right. She had to know. He opened his mouth to speak as Daniel rounded a bend in the trail.

"You found her! God, Sam! Do you have any idea how worried we've been about you?"

The moment evaporated, and Jack felt crushed. She didn't know and she wouldn't know. Again.

Sam climbed to her feet, dusting off the seat of her pants. "Sorry, Daniel. I really didn't mean to worry anyone. I just needed some air."

Daniel pulled her into his embrace and Jack felt a surge of jealousy. Not because he was hugging Sam, but because it was _*okay*_ for him to show his affection for her. What he wouldn't give for that freedom.

"It's getting dark, kids. We better get inside," Jack snapped. Sam looked back at him, her eyes questioning his change in attitude. "We should catch up with Teal'c, too."

~11~

Sam sat on a bed in the infirmary, knees pulled up to her chest and arms wrapped around her legs. Janet was pacing in front of her, several minutes into her speech on how risky it had been for her to run off.

Janet stopped before her, hands on her hips. "What am I going to do with you? Do I need to post a guard?"

"Look, Janet, I said I was sorry! I had to catch my breath, that's all. It's not everyday you find out you've got an alien virus."

Janet sat down on the bed next to her, putting a comforting arm around Sam's shoulders. "I know it looks bad, but it's all speculation at this point." Janet's tone had softened and Sam found herself fighting the urge to cry again.

"I'm scared, Janet," she confessed, turning her gaze to the woman beside her.

"I know," Janet said, squeezing her shoulder. Straightening up, Janet wiped at a single tear on her cheek. "First thing we have to do is get a sample of that water. Then we can start to work on a cure." She pinned Sam with an intense look. "And we _*will*_ find a cure."

Sam nodded, giving her a weak smile. "Of course we will."

"Why don't you lie back; you didn't get much sleep last night."

Sam unwound her arms from her legs, but didn't lay down. "I can't even think about sleep right now." Moving her hand to the back of her neck, she massaged the tight muscles. The pain seemed to have leveled off. Instead of waves of stabbing pain, there was just a constant ache.

"Is your headache still so painful?" Janet asked.

"You can't imagine," Sam said, closing her eyes. "I know I've made the comparison before, but it feels like my brain is on fire. I swear if you put your stethoscope to my head you'd hear it sizzle."

Janet actually smiled. "At least you've still got your sense of humor."

"I guess that's the autonomic part of my brain, huh?" Sam answered with a wry grin.

She had to look at this latest development in her life realistically. As much as she wanted to lose total control and scream at the unfairness of the universe, she knew she had to accept the situation and move on. Not that she was admitting defeat, but the sooner she realized this wasn't a bad dream she was going to wake from, the better. First step was to gather what facts she could. From there she'd find a way to beat this. She'd been in worse situations, she told herself. As much as this scared her, could it be any worse than being clinically dead, having her consciousness trapped inside the SGC's mainframe? Or taken over by a parasitic life form? Or any of the other numerous no-win situations she'd found herself in over the years? This was no different. There was a way to conquer this virus. They just needed to find it.

Lifting her gaze from the crisp, white sheets of the infirmary bed, Sam said, "Give it to me straight, Janet. I want to know the worst case scenario."

"Sam, I really don't think. . ."

"Look, I know you don't want to alarm me, especially since I freaked out and tore out of the briefing room, but now that I've had some time to think about this, I have to know what to expect, and what I can do to prevent it."

Janet nodded, giving her hand a squeeze. "Worst case scenario, huh? Well, most of your synapses could break down, and you would totally lose the ability to communicate, and your ability to reason. If it would come to that, you wouldn't be aware of yourself, or the world around you." Janet's gaze dropped to the floor as her voice grew thick with emotion. She took a deep breath before she looked at Sam again. "I'm not going to let that happen. SG-10 is 'gating to R4X-642 as we speak. We'll find a way to stop this."

"Yes, we will," Sam said with determination. "Hey, if I can change the laws of physics, killing a virus should be a walk in the park, right?" She slid off the bed preparing to exit the infirmary as Janet hopped off the bed, grabbing her arm.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To my quarters. I didn't think you'd let me go home."

"You've got that right. But I want you here. I'm still not sure what this virus is doing to you."

"Janet . . ."

"No, Sam," she said, blocking the entrance with her body. "Just because I _*think*_ this isn't affecting your autonomic functions, I can't take the risk. What if you stopped breathing? You couldn't even signal for help!"

Sam knew there was no point in fighting with her over this. "Fine." she said, sitting on the bed once more. At least last night she'd had the colonel's company to ward off her boredom. Now all she'd have was the beeping of monitors and the throbbing in her head.

~12~

Janet looked at the test results in her hands, rubbing a hand across tired eyes. She might have accused Sam of having gotten little rest, but she wasn't any better. Maybe because she was fatigued, she'd missed something.

The lab had sent her the results in an amazingly short time, but it wasn't the answer she wanted to see. Something had to have gone wrong. She would run the trial herself, she decided to make absolutely sure before she lost hope.

An hour later, Janet checked the read-out of the analysis. The results were the same, and she'd run the test twice, using nearly all of the sample SG-10 had brought back. Checking in on Sam, she was relieved to find her sleeping.

_*After all the sedative I've pumped into her, I'm not surprised,*_ she thought, as she adjusted the blankets over her friend. There was no point in waking her only to give her bad news. There would be time enough for that tomorrow.

"Hey, Janet."

Startled, she looked up, seeing Daniel at the end of Sam's bed. "How come you're haunting the halls at this hour?" she whispered.

"Couldn't sleep. I thought maybe if I could make some sense of the writing on the wall, so to speak, it might help Sam."

Janet smiled, motioning him away from Sam's bedside where they could talk more freely. It never ceased to amaze her how much the people of the SGC cared about each other. All the teams were close. Maybe not as close as SG-1, but in all her years of service, she'd never seen a base pull together so cohesively as she did the one beneath Cheyenne Mountain. Maybe it was the inherent danger of their missions, or the fact they couldn't discuss their work above level 12. Whatever the reason, she was grateful to be a part of it.

"Is Colonel O'Neill awake, too?"

"Yeah. I ran into him in the commissary when I took a break. He and Teal'c were trying to figure out if Sam had gone anywhere alone. She'd left us when she took a 'nature break,' but we all were separated for that from time to time and none of us are sick."

"Well, it's not the water either," Janet said with a sigh.

"It isn't? I thought for sure. . . ."

"So did I. I've been so convinced it was our culprit, I haven't even considered other sources. Looks like I have a little detective work to do," she said, wondering where on Earth, or R4X-642, she was going to start. "As long as you're all up, I might as well tell you what I found. I'll let Sam know when she wakes up."

Daniel nodded. "Why don't you come to the commissary with me. You look like you could use a break."

Giving Daniel a tired smile, Janet agreed. "I could use a gallon of coffee right now. And a couple of shots of whiskey to go in it."

"Is it that bad?" Daniel asked, worry etched on his features.

They headed down the hallway to the elevators. "It's not good. But I'll tell you all at the same time. Save myself some explaining."

Janet and Daniel were quiet the rest of the way to the mess hall, each lost in their thoughts. Entering the mess hall, Daniel pointed out the table where Jack and Teal'c were seated.

"I'm going to grab some coffee," Janet told him. "Can I get you anything?"

"Believe it or not, I think I've finally reached my limit."

Janet smiled briefly before she turned to the coffee urns. She did need the stimulant, but she also wanted a moment to gather her thoughts. How was she going to tell them she had no idea what was causing Sam's illness, and even less of an idea of how to treat it? She couldn't keep giving her pain killers and sedatives. Besides the fact the longer she went untreated, the greater her risk of permanent brain damage. Taking a deep breath, she crossed the floor to join SG-1.

~13~

Jack watched Janet approach their table, feeling his stomach sink. The look on her face was more than telling. She looked exhausted and defeated. Daniel had merely shaken his head when he'd asked him about the test results, starting his insides twisting. Seeing Janet only added to the knots in his gut.

"Hey, guys. Sir."

Teal'c canted his head slightly. "DoctorFraiser, do you have the results of the water sample?"

"Yeah, I do. And it doesn't look good," she said, sliding into a seat next to Jack. "I sent the water to lab, and I even ran the test myself. Twice. Each time I get the same results-there's no evidence of the pathogen in the water. Basically, it's made up of the same elements of Earth's sea water. Salt, and a few other dissolved minerals. Although not as much salt as our oceans."

"I noticed that when I got a mouthful," Jack said. "I guess now we know why I didn't get sick. But that still doesn't explain why Carter and not the rest of us."

Janet rubbed her hands over her face. "I wish I had an answer for you, sir, but at the moment I have no idea where to begin looking. I was hoping maybe you could give me some insight. That maybe you could think of something she could have come in contact with that you didn't."

"Teal'c and I were checking out the ruins in the village, looking for evidence of what happened to the people. Carter and Daniel were exploring that temple thing. She touch something you didn't?" Jack turned his attention to the man seated across from him.

Daniel thought for a moment. "Well, she leaned against the loose rock in the wall, but I'd been touching the stones all morning, and probably had more contact than she did. There was some kind of mold on the rocks, but if that was it, I would think I'd be the one that was sick."

Janet nodded as they all fell silent. Jack toyed with his empty coffee mug, at a loss for ideas when Sam could have encountered something they hadn't. He sat up straighter as a thought popped into his head.

"What about when she was on watch? We were all asleep, right? Or at least in the tent. Teal'c, you came in when Carter took her watch, didn't you?"

"I did. I waited until I was relieved to perform Kel No Reem."

"I doubt Sam would have gone wandering around," Daniel said.

"No, but I can't think of any other time she would have been alone," Jack stated.

"Well, Sam's the only one who can tell us if she had contact with a possible contagion. I do know that it's not airborne, and I don't think it's spread by touching another person. If it was, the rest of you would have it by now. It's behaving in a manner typical to a virus, other than its localized nature."

Janet's face hadn't lost any of its tension. In fact, Jack thought, if anything she seemed to be even more concerned. He knew how tenacious she could be, and she wouldn't rest until she had a cause, and then a cure.

A pager went off, and Janet looked down, checking the message. "Sam's awake," she announced. "Guess I better get this over with," she said, releasing a sigh as she stood.

Jack rose as well. "Can we come with you?"

Janet's gaze touched on each of men surrounding the table. "It might help, actually. To know she has your support."

"There was never a question," Daniel said.

~14~

Sam was sitting up, listening to Janet's explanation, but once she heard the words "not in the water," she tuned the doctor out. She should have realized it was too obvious of a solution. Things were never that easy, especially when they involved something off-world.

Looking at the faces of the people surrounding her bed, she wasn't encouraged. Janet had her hand on her arm, lending Sam her support. Daniel had his arms crossed, a frown creasing he brow. Teal'c stood at the end of her bed, arms and shoulders back almost as if he could guard her from harm with just his presence. And then there was Jack. The look on his face unreadable. He was concerned, but there was something else there as well. Guilt, perhaps? She knew he took things way too personally when it came to his team. No doubt he somehow felt responsible for her situation. She saw him start to reach for her, only to pull back and stuff his hands in his pockets.

"It's okay, sir. There's nothing you could have done," Sam said, interrupting Janet. The doctor looked from one to the other, as if she'd missed something. Jack started to argue, but Sam deflected his denial. "Okay, so it's not the water," she said, rubbing the back of her head. "So, we have to think of something I could have done differently from you guys."

"That's what we were just discussing," Daniel said, pushing up his glasses. "The only thing we could come up with was your watch. Did you go anywhere away from camp? Come in contact with something we might not have?"

Sam tried to think if there'd been anything out of the ordinary. She'd been slightly nauseous from the water she'd swallowed, but she couldn't think of anything out of the ordinary she'd done. Feeling as she had that night, she was sure the water was going to be the answer.

"I can't think of what it might be," she said. "But it could be anything. Maybe there's something different about my physiology that this thing likes."

"You do carry the protein marker from Jolinar that we do not," Teal'c reminded them.

Janet looked up. "So, you think this might be some kind of Goa'uld disease? I mean I know Jolinar was a Tok'ra, but physically, the species are identical. It's only in philosophy the two differ."

"And we did find those Goa'uld skeletons in the temple. Maybe you caught whatever they died from," Daniel suggested.

"But those bones had been there for a very long time," Sam said. "There wasn't even any flesh on them. Could a virus survive that long with nothing to live on?"

Janet thought a moment. "It's possible it can go dormant. Maybe that's why you didn't show any symptoms at first. You might have picked it up when you entered the temple. Maybe it takes time to adjust from a passive to an active state."

"So, what are we talking about here? There's some Goa'uld-killing disease running around out there and that's why Carter's sick? Just because of a little extra protein?" Jack asked.

"Protein marker," Daniel corrected.

"If that's what it needs to survive, then yes, that could be all it takes," Janet confirmed. "It might have something to do with the naquada in her system as well."

"My symbiote was extremely disturbed in the temple. Perhaps it sensed the presence of this virus."

"Then why isn't Junior reacting to the virus in Carter?"

"It is possible since it has joined with MajorCarter it has changed," Teal'c speculated.

Janet looked at both men. "That's probably true. Most viruses mutate to some degree once they've joined with a host body."

"Kind of poetic justice, wouldn't you say?" Jack pointed out.

"Sir?" Sam asked.

"Parasitic beings being killed by parasites. I can't think of a better way for the bastards to go."

"Colonel!" Janet exclaimed. "If Major Carter is any example of the type of pain this virus is capable of inflicting, I'm sure they died very unpleasant deaths. Not only the Goa'uld, but the host as well."

"Yeah, well, it can't be much worse than the pain of living with a snake in your head."

"Uh, guys? I think we're getting a little off-track here. The issue is how we're going to help Sam. Not whether or not the Goa'uld got what was coming to them. We don't know if it's something in the temple that's causing this."

"It seems the most likely answer," Sam said. "I can't think of anything else that would account for me being the only one to get sick and Teal'c's symbiote to react the way it did. Teal'c doesn't carry the protein marker, but his symbiote does. Right, Janet?"

"From the limited analysis I've been able to do on a Goa'uld larvae, I would say yes."

"Okay, so that leaves the naquada, and he and I are the only ones to have that, too. Maybe Junior was able to protect Teal'c since he had such a limited exposure. I was in the temple a lot longer than he was."

"It's possible," Janet agreed. Instantly her eyes widened and Sam felt the grip on her arm tighten. "Oh, my God, Sam! What if it _*is*_ the naquada? And what if I'm a carrier? Cassandra has naquada in her blood as well!"

"Have you been home?" Sam asked.

"No, I haven't, thank God! But if we don't find a cure for this, I can't take the risk. None of us can!"

Sam sat up straighter, taking her own turn at offering comfort. "She'll be okay. What about your neighbor? Can't she look in on Cassie?"

"If it was just a day or two, that would be one thing, but who knows how long this is going to take?"

"Hey sixteen, home alone. What's so bad about that?" Jack asked.

Sam and Janet both leveled their gazes on him. "I know it was a bit ago, sir, but try to remember what _*you*_ would have done at sixteen with the house to yourself," Sam said.

"Well, I was a guy. Still am, actually."

"And you don't think girls can get into just as much trouble?" Janet inquired.

"Not Cass. She's a good kid."

Janet looked at Sam and they both laughed. "Guess he hasn't met Dominic," Janet said.

"Dominic?"

Sam sighed and rolled her eyes, imitating Cassandra. "He's just _*so*_ hot!"

"Cassie said _*that?*_ I'm having a guard posted. No, make that two! No one gets in that house without a thorough screening!"

Sam smiled, her plight momentarily forgotten. Janet did have a point. Until they knew for certain what it was about her that attracted the virus, they couldn't take the chance of infecting Cassandra as well.

"Look, it's obvious we have to go back to the planet," Jack said, serious once more. "We need more facts and the evidence is there. I'm going to talk to Hammond about returning. You won't have to stay away from Cass for long," he assured Janet, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Sam watched the exchange with a pang of envy. Jack could touch Janet, comfort her, but earlier he couldn't reach out and offer her the same comfort. Oh, she knew why he'd pulled back, but that didn't make it hurt any less. It only underscored how precious the contact they'd shared the other night had been.

~15~

Jack stuck his head through the opening of the temple on R4X-642, coughing in the dust Daniel had kicked up. "Deja vu," he said, crawling into the chamber. The shafts of sunlight were illuminating the naquada statue and he could see why Carter was salivating over it. He hadn't paid much attention to the sculpture the first time he'd been in the temple. He'd only been aware it was the most naquada he'd seen in one place, other than the Stargates.

He put his hands on what would have been the goddess's shoulders, trying to move the statue, but it wouldn't budge. Maybe it was attached to the base somehow, or it just weighed that much, Jack couldn't be certain. All he knew was he wasn't going to be one to move it. Releasing his grip on Pele's likeness, he noticed there was something sticky covering it.

_*Must be some weird jungle fungus thing,*_ he thought, rubbing his hands on the sleeves of his BDUs.

"Jack?" Daniel called. "Can you give me a hand here?"

He walked around the statue to see Daniel crouched amongst the bones, hands encased in surgical gloves as he gently prodded the skeletons. Jack tried not to be disgusted as he noted the Goa'uld's bones wrapped around the host's spine, but he couldn't help it. He'd had one too many close calls with becoming a host to not be affected by the sight. It was only the timely arrival of the Tok'ra spy in Hathor's ranks that saved him by the skin of his teeth the last time.

"At first I thought maybe scavengers had disturbed the first set of bones. But the more I thought about it, if it was some kind of animal, they would have went for the top bones. They would have been the easiest to get to. I think the bottom skeletons were disturbed by a person that came in here."

"Then why not the top bones?"

"I think it's the person on top of this one who disturbed the bones."

"You mean he started kicking them around or something and then suddenly died on the spot?"

"I think so. Why else would all the bodies be in the same place? I think each Goa'uld that came in here, saw the bodies and before they had time to leave, they too died."

"That's kind of a leap, isn't it?"

"We don't know how quickly this spreads. It could be incredibly fast," Daniel said.

"If this is what Carter has-and it's a pretty big if at this point-how come she didn't keel over before she could leave?"

"I don't know, Jack. I'm not that kind of doctor," he replied.

"Well, we're here to get some stuff for Fraiser anyway. How about we get a sample of bones from each skeleton. See if they all died from the same thing." Jack stooped next to Daniel, taking a collection bag from him.

"We should probably put them in separate bags and label where in the pile we found them," Daniel instructed. "Who knows what's going to be relevant."

They worked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Jack couldn't help the creepy feeling he had being in the temple. Even though he and Daniel were seemingly immune to the disease, just the thought that some deadly virus was probably here somewhere sent shivers down his spine. He knew the reasons why Teal'c couldn't accompany them, but he wished for his presence anyway.

There was something about this whole place that seemed off. The fact that there were no bodies in the village, and the huts looked like the people had merely stopped what they'd been doing. No sign of struggle or a battle of any kind. Just gone. The UAV had done a sweep of the continent and there was no humanoid forms of life. Everyone had apparently vanished.

"I want to take another look at the writing on the outside," Daniel said, dragging Jack back from his thoughts. "Much of the filming I'd done the first time around didn't turn out because of the angle of the sun."

"Fine, but we move out in ten," Jack said climbing to his feet.

"Jack! I should do more filming in here, too!"

"Daniel," Jack said, tapping his watch, "Nine fifty-nine."

"All right," he grumbled, pushing himself through the opening. Jack followed, but once outside, he turned his attention toward the beach. The sun would be setting soon and he wanted to be back to the 'gate before it was dark. Looking out over the ocean, he remembered Sam playing in the water the night they'd spent here. She'd been so carefree. They both had. Maybe it was because the time had been so fleeting he cherished the memories now. Even though she'd continued to call him "sir," there'd been a change in how she related to him. It had been so refreshing to spend time alone with her with the bounds of the military loosened. Turning back to see Daniel finishing his filming, he knew they had to find a way to help Sam. He wasn't about to let her go when he'd finally accepted what she meant to him.

~16~

Janet knew she shouldn't have been surprised to see Sam sitting on her bed, laptop perched on her thighs, but the sight angered her nonetheless.

"I thought I told you to get some rest. Working does not constitute rest."

"I'm almost done," Sam answered distractedly.

"No, you're done now," she said, reaching over and switching the power off.

"Janet! I just lost an hour's worth of work!"

"You should save it more often," she said calmly, belying the exasperation she felt at finding Sam disobeying her orders. "Besides, how can you concentrate with the headache you've got?"

"I think it's getting better," she sighed, closing the lid of the laptop. Janet held out her hand for the computer. "Come on, I promise I won't do any more work tonight!"

"You're right, because you won't be able to. Now give it up or do I have to wrestle you for it?"

"I only wrestle with colonels," she replied, handing over the laptop.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, just some comment I made to the colonel about arm wrestling when I was on my soap box during that first briefing," she said, shaking her head at the memory. "Actually, I'm amazed he let me on the team after my little display."

Janet couldn't help the smile blossoming on her face. She remembered how out-to-prove-herself Sam had been when they'd first met. She'd been on SG-1 about three months when she'd transferred to the facility as the Chief Medical Officer. She thought the captain was a bit gung-ho, but there was something about Sam beyond being one of the few women on the base. She'd proven herself to be a true and loyal friend, and it was something Janet never took for granted.

Sam slid down in her bed, pulling up the blankets. "I'm serious, Janet, my head feels better. Did you give me something stronger?"

Janet picked up Sam's chart. She hadn't ordered anything stronger, but she double-checked anyway. There was no listing for additional medication. "You're still on the same dose," she said, replacing the chart. "What feels different?"

"Remember how I told you it's almost like my brain is on fire? Well, it feels like it's cooling off," she said with a grin. "And the pain is more a dull ache rather than a sharp pain."

"You sure you're not just getting used to being in constant pain so it doesn't feel any worse?"

"Believe me, the least little switch, either good or bad, I can feel it," Sam assured her.

"You should have said something," Janet chided.

"Well, I assumed you'd given me something stronger," she shrugged. Janet couldn't understand how Sam could be so clueless at times. As a scientist, she thought Sam would realize any sliver of information might be important. It probably wasn't so easy to remember when she was the experiment.

"If you notice any other changes, will you _*please*_ let me know?"

"Promise. Hey, the guys make it back from R4X-642 yet?"

Janet checked her watch. "They should be arriving any time now. Sit tight. I'm sure we'll get some more answers once I can analyze what they bring back." Sam nodded, then yawned. "I want you to get some sleep!" Janet ordered once more.

"I will, as soon as I know they're back."

Janet didn't bother trying to argue with her. It was the same no matter who was separated from the group. At least she could control Sam a little easier than she could O'Neill. Although, the longer Sam worked with him, the more alike they became. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Exhaustion was beginning to take its toll on Janet as she stared into the microscope. Her vision kept blurring and she couldn't be sure if she was seeing a pattern. It could be she was so desperate for some answers, her sleep-deprived brain was providing one.

"Any luck?" A voice asked from the doorway.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Janet snapped.

"Trying to see why you're not in one," Sam said. "Please, Janet, I feel better. Really. The headache is practically gone. Let me give you a hand."

Janet was about to argue, but she had to admit, she could use some help on this. "Okay," she relented. "But only after I have a look at you. Something's going on for a headache that severe to be curing itself in this short of time."

"Maybe the virus has run its course," Sam suggested.

"I don't think we could be that lucky," Janet said, climbing wearily to her feet. "Come on. We're going back to the infirmary. If everything checks out, I'll be glad to have your help."

"Maybe you won't need it if my own immune system has killed this thing." Janet couldn't help but notice the hope in her voice. Sam wasn't one to ignore the obvious, but she was human and as such, she was just as susceptible to denial as anyone.

Janet stopped, holding her back with a hand on her arm. "Sam," she said earnestly, "I'm glad you're feeling better, but I don't want you to get your hopes up. This might be a phase of the virus. Just don't set yourself up to be disappointed, okay?"

"Janet, I know. This isn't wishful thinking. I really _*do*_ feel better."

Janet gave her arm a slight squeeze. "Then again it could be your body has compensated for the virus. Maybe for once we _*did*_ get lucky."

~17~

Daniel sat before his television, remote in his left hand while his right scribbled notes. The second filming had proven much more useful than the first, and he was beginning to make sense of the words inscribed on the outer walls of the temple. Most of it seemed to be praise and adoration for the Goddess Pele. Either her subjects did truly love her, or they were too afraid to place their honest sentiments on the wall.

Daniel made more notes. Again words speaking of the sacred nature of the temple and only those "free of demons" could enter her presence. He perked up at that thought. Demons? Goa'uld? But wouldn't they know their own goddess was a "demon?"

He fast-forward the tape to the section that showed the interior room. More words about destruction of those not of pure heart. As the goddess of fire and volcanoes, those not worthy to be in her presence would be stuck down with the "mind fire." For some reason those words nagged him. He'd heard something like that before. But where? Daniel was trying to remember where he'd heard the phrase when Jack knocked briefly on his door, entering without invitation.

"Hey, Daniel. How's the translation going?"

_*Damn it!*_ Daniel thought. _*I almost had it! That man has the worst timing!*_ "Uh, fine. I almost had something when you interrupted me," he answered, his voice betraying his irritation.

"Sorry," Jack said pulling up a stool.

Daniel watched him make himself comfortable, sighing inwardly that Jack wasn't here for a quick check-in.

"So, whatcha got?"

Daniel rubbed the bridge of his nose. He might as well tell Jack what he knew. The sooner he was aware he hadn't made it far on the translation, the sooner Jack was likely to leave and he could get back to work.

"Just some basics, really. I was right about the goddess, or in this case, the Goa'uld in question. She'd taken on the guise of Pele, a figure from Hawaiian mythology."

"The fire and brimstone one, right?"

"Well, fire and volcanoes," Daniel corrected. "She's also associated with awakenings. You know, volcanoes, erupting, effecting change, that sort of thing."

Jack nodded. An open book lay on Daniel's desk and he pulled it towards him. "This her?"

"One rendition, yes. Generally she's represented as a young woman."

"It does kind of look like the statue," Jack noted.

"Remarkably so," Daniel agreed.

"She sure effected a change in Carter. I wonder how Doc's doing with her analysis?"

"I haven't heard. Maybe you want to go check?" Daniel asked hopefully.

"I tried, but she shooed me out. She said she'd let us know when she had something."

"So," he said again, "you have anything?"

"Not a lot. The words on the outer walls seem to be basically praise, but the inscription on the interior walls appear to be some kind of warning."

"Shouldn't there be a 'do not enter' sign on the _*outside?*_"

Daniel backed up his tape. "There is, sort of, but it's kind of vague." Stopping the tape, he pointed to the carved figures on the side of the temple where they had entered. "At one time I assume this had been the actual entrance, but it had been sealed. That's why we couldn't find a way in at first. I think it was a fluke Sam leaned on a loose stone."

Jack's face was contorted into his usual "get on with it look," and Daniel tried to speed up his explanation.

Touching the TV screen, he pointed out a grouping of characters. "Any way, I think this line here says something about only those "free of demons" may enter Pele's presence."

"'Free of demons?' What is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm guessing they're talking about the Goa'uld. Although, maybe the inhabitants didn't know them as Goa'uld as such. They just saw them as evil beings."

"Good call," Jack said, picking a pen off of Daniel's desk, twirling it between his fingers. "They didn't think Pele was evil?"

"It could be she treated them well. Not all Goa'uld treat their 'subjects' badly," Daniel pointed out.

"Yeah, but it's pretty rare to find one that doesn't have some kind of hidden agenda."

"Maybe they were of more use to her if they were well taken care of," Daniel speculated.

Jack sighed, tossing the pen back on the desk. "Okay, I guess that's neither here nor there right now. Did you find out anything else?"

Daniel advanced the tape to its previous location. "This is what I was looking at when you came in. All I'd really gotten to was there seemed to be more warnings about only those of pure heart being allowed in the temple."

"And of course the Goa'uld figured it was just some kind of scare tactic, right?"

"By the number of bodies we found, I'd say none of them took the warning seriously. But this is the passage that struck me the most," he said, pointing to the television monitor. "Something about those unworthy would be struck down with the 'mind fire.'"

"Sounds like what Carter has. Isn't that what she said it felt like? That her brain was on fire?"

"Yes!" Daniel exclaimed. "That's where I heard it! Thank you!"

Jack looked at him, confused.

"When I read that passage I knew it sounded familiar somehow, and it was driving me nuts!"

"Glad I could help," Jack said dryly. "So, does it say anything about a cure?"

"If this virus was set up as some kind of trap for the Goa'uld, I doubt there would be instructions on how to reverse it."

"I guess not. You think that's what it is, though? A trap?" Jack asked.

"Well, the thought just came to me, but it makes sense, don't you think? What Goa'uld could resist such an amount of naquada? They're lured into the temple by the thought of that much mineral, and once inside, they're infected with the virus. We saw how fast it killed them. Judging from where we found the bodies, death must have occurred fairly quickly."

"Okay, wait a minute," Jack said. "So you're saying we didn't get this thing because not being Goa'uld we're 'pure of heart,' right?"

"At this point, it's my best guess, yes."

"And Carter got this because of that protein thingy." Jack stated.

"Right. I also think that's why she just got the really bad headache from it. Seeing as she's not a Goa'uld, she's probably just got a slight case."

"Some slight case."

"Yeah," Daniel agreed. "Can you imagine what the Goa'uld must have went through before they died?"

Jack's voice rose in anger. "Personally, I don't care. The damn snakeheads got what was coming to them!"

Daniel knew better than to get into an argument with Jack over the fate of the Goa'uld, so he changed the subject. "We should tell Janet about this. I'm betting she's going to come to the same conclusions once she analyzes the bones. We might even be able to save her some work."

"There's only one thing," Jack said, his voice much quieter. "It doesn't change the fact Carter's suffering from this. I know it narrows things down a bit for Fraiser, but we still don't know how the virus is transmitted. How can she find a cure if she doesn't know how it's passed on?"

"She'll find a way, Jack. She's not about to let Sam or the rest of us down." Daniel laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. Why did it have to be Sam, Daniel wondered. He could see how deeply this was affecting Jack, even though he struggled not to show his feelings. Maybe it wasn't obvious to the casual observer, but he'd been friends with the man for five years. He knew without a doubt nothing inappropriate had happened between the two of them, but that didn't mean the feelings weren't there.

_*What a mess,*_ Daniel thought.

~18~

Sam blinked, clearing the film covering her eyes. It was always the same when she spent too much time staring into a microscope. "Janet, could you take a look at this," she asked, sitting back and rubbing her eyes. "It looks like the same virus to me, but I've been staring in this thing so long I think I'm seeing double."

"What do you think you have?" Janet asked, leaning into the eyepiece.

"I'm thinking it _*is*_ the protein marker and not the naquada in my blood. If you look at the bones of the Goa'uld, the virus seemed to have concentrated there. There's traces of it in the bones of the host, but not enough to kill them. I'm fairly sure the reason the Goa'ulds died was because the parasites succumbed first, taking their hosts with them. I think if the Goa'uld would have left their hosts, the hosts would have survived."

"Well, that would be good news for me," Janet said, standing away from the microscope. "If it's not the naquada, Cassandra wouldn't be at risk." Janet tapped her lips, then said, "I want to try something. If I can get a sample of your blood and Teal'c's we could make certain it's not the naquada."

"How do we do that?" Sam asked.

"If we introduce the virus to Teal'c's blood and there's no reaction, we'll know it's the protein marker. His symbiote carries the marker, but he doesn't. Plus we could filter out the naquada from your blood to see what happens when the virus is exposed only to the marker."

"Let's do it," Sam said, fired with a new optimism. It wasn't a cure by any means, but narrowing the field was a step in the right direction.

Teal'c appeared in the infirmary, followed by Jack and Daniel.

"We heard the page," Daniel said, rationalizing their appearance behind Teal'c.

"Good," Janet said. "It saves me from having to track you down. There's something I'd like to try." Janet began to explain what they hoped to achieve with the blood tests, but Sam's attention drifted. She noticed Jack looking at her every now and again, as if by sneaking quick glances at her, she wouldn't realize he was checking to see how she was. She found it sweet, actually. She was tempted to tell him she was fine, but she rather enjoyed the illusion that the others hadn't noticed his concern. She knew they had. Daniel in particular seemed interested in their silent exchange, but did them the courtesy of pretending not to be aware of it.

"So, how long's this going to take?" Jack asked.

"Well, if my suspicions are correct, we should know something almost immediately."

"Okay," Jack said, rubbing his hands together. Let's get this show on the road."

"You seem most anxious to move things forward when it is not your blood required, O'Neill," Teal'c stated calmly as he extended his arm for the blood draw.

Sam tried to hide her smile, but Teal'c was right-Jack was always quick to volunteer someone else for medical procedures. "Janet? Do you need more of my blood?" she asked.

Giving her an apologetic smile, Janet said, "I'm afraid so. We used the last of the previous sample."

Sam dutifully held out her arm as a nurse prepped her. Looking up, Sam noticed Jack had moved to her side, looking as if he was going to speak, then thought better of it. Deciding to help him out, she questioned, "Sir?"

"Ah, I was just wondering how you were doing. With the headache and all," he said, waving his hand in her direction."

"Actually, fine," she said, looking away as the needle pierced her skin. "It started leveling off this morning, and now, nothing."

"That's a bit too easy, don't ya think?"

"I have to admit, I was a little surprised, but I sure didn't argue," she said, giving him a shy smile.

"So, whaddya think made it go away?" Jack asked, stuffing his restless hands into his pockets.

Sam shrugged. "I think maybe my own immune system killed it. Janet, however isn't saying anything yet. I suppose she doesn't want to get my hopes up. I think she believes this is just a phase of the disease."

"Could she be right?" Jack asked, his tone gentle. "I mean that's kind of a quick turn around for something so deadly."

"Yeah, but it's deadly to the Goa'ulds, not Humans. At least that's the way it looks now," Sam defended. She wasn't going to give up! Maybe she did have an element in her blood this virus fed on, but she wasn't going to let it kill her. By all accounts, if this disease was going to be fatal, she would have died already.

Jack nodded, patting her on the shoulder. Realizing his hand lingered, he quickly pulled back, sliding his hand into his pocket once more.

"That should do it, Major," the nurse said as she taped a cotton pad to the inside of her elbow.

Janet took both samples, gesturing with her head towards the lab. "You guys coming?"

Sam leaped off the exam bed, following Daniel and Teal'c, but proceeding Jack. Again she felt his hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Chancing a backwards glance, she gave him a grateful smile as his hand returned to his side.

She wished she could tell him how much it meant to her to have him by her side. Not that it didn't help to have them all rallying around her, but there was something about Jack's presence that lent her strength the others didn't. She hated seeing the worry in his eyes, knowing she was the cause, but she knew if the situation was reversed, she would be feeling the same.

The lab was a bit crowded with all of them, but Janet didn't seem to notice as she focused on her tests.

Turning to Daniel, Sam asked, "Any luck with the translations?"

"Uh, yeah, as a matter of fact, it's starting to make even more sense." he said, pulling his attention away from Janet. "The inscriptions on the outer walls contain a lot of phrases praising Pele, talking about her powers of destruction and also of her ability to effect sweeping changes."

"Well, I'd call a virus this deadly a pretty sweeping change," Sam agreed.

"Obviously the naquada was a bait of some sort," Daniel continued. Once inside the temple, it apparently was too late for the Goa'uld. This seems to have worked incredibly fast, killing them almost instantly."

"And the fact the naquada was carved into a likeness of Pele was a final 'gotcha?'" Jack asked.

"Apparently," Daniel confirmed. "Pele seemed to want to make sure they knew who'd killed them before they died." Turning back to Sam specifically, he added, "There was an inscription over what would have been the main entrance before the temple had been sealed. It warned that only those 'free of demons' may enter."

Sam thought for a moment. "Goa'ulds," she said, looking at him.

"That's what we thought," Daniel said, glancing at Jack.

"And in their arrogance they completely ignored the warning," Sam supplied. "Well, it makes sense, considering it's only Teal'c and I who've had any reaction to this."

"Unfortunately more you than anyone," Daniel said, giving her a sympathetic smile.

"Well, it actually seems to have gotten better," she said. "As I was telling the colonel earlier, the headache is gone. Almost as fast as it came on."

"My guess is you've got a mild case of whatever this virus is. Didn't you tell me it felt like your brain was on fire?"

"Yeah, you could have had a cook-out," she said with a grin.

"It's interesting you should use the analogy of a fire, because from the translation I got, that's the phrase they used to describe the virus-'mind fire.'"

"And since Pele's the goddess of fire. . ."

"It's a pretty appropriate way to kill off your enemies," Daniel finished.

It was quite clever, Sam had to agree. If she hadn't lived through it, she might even have been inclined to be impressed by the irony. As it was, she couldn't imagine the kind of agonizing death the hosts must experienced if she had what Daniel called a 'mild case.'" She was about to question him further when Janet spoke up.

"I can safely say it's not the naquada," she said, giving a sigh of relief.

Sam moved to Janet's side, giving her shoulders an affectionate squeeze. "At least you know Cassandra's safe."

They exchanged relived smiles, then Janet became serious once more. "But it also means you're the only one to have this disease, and since I have nothing else or no one else to compare it to, I don't know how I'm going to come up with a vaccine."

"Well, I don't know that it's necessary anymore, right? I mean my headache is gone," she said, looking at the faces around the room. I must have beat this."

"Sam, I'm not trying to belittle the pain you were in with the headache, but this virus seems to be as adaptable as a cold. Take the fact it's lived for hundreds of years in a dormant state for one thing. This most recent blood sample shows the virus is still in your system, but it's mutated. Into what, I'm not certain. All I can say is the headache might be just one stage of this disease."

Sam felt her optimism beginning to crumble. There could be more? And worse than the headache? Swallowing her fear, she turned to Daniel.

"Was there any other description of the disease, what it does, how it functions, listed anywhere?"

"Not that I found," Daniel said quietly. "It just mentioned that the 'mind fire' would take all those not worthy to be in Pele's presence."

"There's a good chance you're the first person to experience this. The target it was intended for was the Goa'uld. It's an entirely different disease than the original," Janet said.

Straightening her back, Sam looked to the doctor. "So, the worst case scenario you quoted me is still a good possibility."

Janet looked uncomfortable, gazing down at the lab bench rather than meeting Sam's eyes. "I'm afraid so. Untreated, I believe this virus is going to begin to affect your ability to reason, and communicate."

"I see." Sam's jaw was clenched tight. "How. . .how long do you think I have?"

Janet's eyes were still averted. "I can't say for sure, it might be days, weeks, even months. Judging from the fact this isn't affecting you the same as the Goa'ulds, I would guess you'll have more time than they did."

"I've already had more time than they did," Sam said, bitterly. "Just longer to prolong the agony."

"Or to find a cure!" Jack piped up. "You can't give up now, Carter. At least we know more about this than we did an hour ago."

Sam forced a smile to her lips. She couldn't let her friends down, especially when they'd been supportive of her. The least she could do was to pretend this hadn't turned her life upside down. "You're right, sir. It just defines the challenge."

"There is one thing we have not considered," Teal'c spoke.

"And what would that be?" Jack asked.

"The Tok'ra. They too will be highly susceptible to this virus. I believe it is not only in our best interest but theirs to warn them of this contagion and the fact MajorCarter had contracted it."

"I hadn't thought of that," Daniel said. "We should probably quarantine the base from any aliens until we know more about this."

"And warn them about R4X-642," Sam added. Just the thought of what this could do to her father sent chills down her spine. What if she could never see him again? What if she lived through the disease but continued to be a carrier? She'd never be able to see him in person again. What would it be like if their only contact was through the distorted image of a long-range communication device?

"Those are both good suggestions," Janet said, finally flicking her eyes to Sam. "I'll go talk to the General. And you," she said, grabbing Sam's arm before she could leave, "are going to get some rest if I have to strap you to a bed."

"Janet, you can't be serious! You drop a bombshell like this on me and expect me to sleep?"

"At least go to your quarters. I think it's pretty safe to say you've stabilized enough that I can let you out of the infirmary."

"Then let me take her home," Jack said, surprising everyone in the room. Jack shifted uncomfortably under their scrutiny. "Look, you know she's not going to stay in her quarters if she's here. She'll be in her lab the minute your back is turned."

"I don't know, Colonel. I'm not sure she should be so far away if something happened. And definitely not alone," Janet said.

"I'll sleep on the couch. You gotta comfy couch, don't ya, Carter?"

Sam was flabbergasted at his offer. She was just happy to be released to her quarters, but the thought of her own bed was definitely enticing. "Sir, I appreciate the offer, but. . . "

"If you'd feel better staying here, that's fine, I just thought maybe you'd like a break."

Her gaze slipped self-consciously to the floor. "I'd rather go home, but. . ."

"Then it's settled. Okay, Doc?"

Janet seemed to hesitant to give her permission, but eventually consented. "If you bring her back in the morning."

"Scout's honor."

"Really, sir. . ."

"Carter, it's decided. Don't make me make it an order."

~19~

Jack snuck a quick look at the person on the seat next to him in the truck. Ever since she'd joined him in the elevator, Sam had been tense, self-conscious. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea, he thought. But when he'd seen the look on her face as Fraiser again warned of what might be ahead for her, he couldn't help himself. She needed a break. Some time to think things through. At the time, he'd thought getting out of the SGC was what she needed, but now he wasn't so sure. She'd been so quiet, so distant since he'd "ordered" her to go home, he was beginning to doubt he was helping her.

"Thank you, sir," she said, speaking for the first time since they'd left the mountain. He gave her a quizzical glance causing her to add, "for taking me home. I really appreciate it."

"No sweat, Carter. I thought maybe you hadn't wanted to go, you've been so quiet," he hinted.

"I just don't like putting you out, sir."

"Sam, since when is helping out a friend a chore?"

He realized too late how familiar he'd become with her. Again he was wondering what possessed him to offer to take her home. Daniel might have been a better choice. He wasn't as emotionally involved as he was. Okay, so they weren't supposed to guess his concern was deeper than a that of a friend, but he couldn't help it. It was. If Daniel _*had*_ been the one to take her home, he would have shown up on her doorstep anyway, wanting to make sure for himself she was okay. At least as well as she could be under the circumstances. He hadn't expected her to be chatting away on the drive to her house, but he didn't expect her to be so uncomfortable with him either.

"I really didn't have any plans," he assured her. Silence filled the space between them once more and Jack's fingers began to beat nervously on the steering wheel. "How 'bout I pick us up something to eat? You must be hungry after all that crap they have in the infirmary. I swear they take whatever is left over from the commissary, and let it sit around a week before it gets shipped off to Fraiser." That produced a small smile from her, and Jack felt himself relax a bit. Maybe she was just lost in her thoughts. Hell, he knew he would be if he'd just had that kind of news dropped on him.

"You know what I'd rather do? I want to make some omelets."

"Omelets?"

"It's about the only thing I can cook," she confided. "And right now I want to do something for myself. Before I can't anymore."

Jack barely heard her final statement. How did he refute something like that? Chances were, she was right. "Carter, I can't begin to understand what this means for you. But you of all people know you can't give in so easily. We're not going to let this go without a fight. _*I'm*_ not going to let this go."

Sam looked up at the vehemence of his words. He'd probably said too much, but she had to understand she wasn't alone.

"Thank you, sir," was all she said, turning to gaze out the window. Pulling up in front of her house she asked, "So, what do you like in your omelet?"

Jack smiled at her attempt to switch gears. "Surprise me." She was already exiting the truck by the time he made it to the passenger side, an arch smile forming on her lips.

"You shouldn't have said that, sir."

"Okay, new rule for when we're off duty. I'm not going to listen to 'sir' and 'colonel' all night. We came here to escape work, not be reminded of it." Sam nodded, but Jack suspected she'd just avoid addressing him directly. He didn't know why it had to be so difficult for them to be informal off-duty. Kawalsky and the others he'd served with certainly didn't call him 'Colonel' off whatever base they happened to be assigned to. Why was it so hard for them?

Sam was jiggling her house key in the lock, but it refused to slide all the way in. "Damn thing," she muttered as she tried twisting the key in a different direction.

"Let me try," Jack offered, closing one hand over the doorknob and placing the other around the hand she was using to force the small piece of metal forward. The key slid effortlessly into the lock, and Sam looked up at him in surprise. "It's a guy thing," he shrugged, noticing for the first time he had his arms nearly wrapped around her. "I could fix that later if you like."

Sam became flustered at his closeness and he immediately dropped his hands, stepping back from her. "That's really not necessary. I could just replace the lock. I even have one, it's just one of those things I never get around to, you know?"

"Yeah, you should see the list of stuff I've got to do at my place." A look of guilt flashed across Sam's face. "Not that I'd do it if I was there anyway," he added.

Sam dipped her head slightly, then looked away, opening the door. He followed her into the foyer, looking around. He'd been there once or twice, but not enough to be familiar with her things. Usually when they got together it was either at his place or Daniel's. Sam's house was a little further out in the suburbs and wasn't as convenient as a gathering place. What impressed him the most was the amount of _*stuff*_ she had. He couldn't recall half the pieces having been in her apartment. Apparently moving was an excuse to acquire more jun-things. It was a familiar argument he'd had with Sara, and he didn't want to bring it up again with Sam.

"Make yourself at home," she said, tossing her jacket onto the back of one of her dining room chairs. Even though the house was clean, apparently Sam wasn't big on tidy. He liked that. There was nothing worse than being in someone's house where you felt you couldn't move because you felt you'd wrinkle something. There was even the clutter of mail left on the kitchen island. He was starting to feel more relaxed already.

"Mind if I turn the TV on?" Jack asked.

"Go ahead," she answered, her head in the refrigerator.

Jack looked over to see her behind sticking out of the appliance, making him wish he would have kept his eyes on the TV. _*Damn!*_ he thought. _*Why does she have to look so good in a pair of jeans?*_

"You want a beer?"

Jack cleared his suddenly dry throat. "Uh, yeah. Sounds great."

Pulling two bottles from the refrigerator, Sam crossed the small dining room into the area designated as her living room. "What's on?" she asked.

Jack was busy flipping channels when he sat up straighter. "Woo hoo! Jackpot!" He accepted the beer from Sam, barely taking note of her joining him on the sofa.

"Hockey? Isn't it a bit early for that?"

"Pre-season," he mumbled, taking a swig of beer, eyes totally focused on the screen.

"Are you hungry?" he heard her ask, but the question didn't quite register.

"Huh?"

"I asked if you were hungry."

"Yeah, I guess." He felt the couch shift slightly as Sam stood, but that was all he noticed until she plunked an omelet down in front of him on the coffee table.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to turn that off while we eat?"

"What? Oh, yeah. How 'bout if I turn the sound off?" he asked, hoping she'd compromise. He knew he was supposed to be here for her, but this was the first game of the season! Surely she understood that!

"Fine, whatever," Sam said resuming her place next to him. Jack took a bite of eggs, sneaking a quick glance a the TV. "How is it?" she asked, causing him to turn his focus on his plate once more.

"Great. You're on breakfast duty from now on," he said, taking another forkful of omelet.

"I doubt I could do the same with powdered eggs and dehydrated vegetables."

Jack heard her statement, but again it went past him as his attention was drawn to the television screen. He hadn't even realized he'd finished his meal until he looked down and his plate was empty. Leaning over, he placed his plate on the table, reaching for the remote to turn up the sound. As he sat back up, his gaze met Sam's.

"What?" he asked, wondering why she looked pissed.

"Nothing," she said, standing and retrieving his plate. I'm going to wash these. Enjoy your game, sir."

_*Damn the man could be infuriating!*_ Sam thought. She didn't know what she expected when he offered to take her home, but it certainly wasn't watching him zone out in front of the TV. _*Jeez, we might as well be married,*_ she mused to herself. Except if they _*were*_ married, she might have been able to use his pre-occupation with the hockey game for some leverage in the bedroom later. Just the thought sent blood rushing to her face.

She guessed she shouldn't have been surprised by his behavior. She'd been at his house when a game was on. It was like the world disappeared, or more accurately, narrowed down to a twenty-seven inch screen. What did she want from him? Jack wasn't a talker, and truth be told, the last thing she wanted to think about was the fact she had an alien virus slowly killing off her brain.

Sam squeezed her eyes shut. She wasn't going to cry. She'd done that, remember? When she'd been on the mountain and he'd found her. Why him of all people? Daniel would have understood. Jack would just see it as a weakness, even though he tried to tell her he didn't. Not that it mattered anymore. If they didn't find a cure, there wasn't chance in hell she'd remain on SG-1.

That was the thought that hurt most of all. The SGC, the team, they were here life. What did she have without them? Just an answering machine continually void of messages. Sam looked down at the remains of the beer in her hand. It probably hadn't been a good idea drinking alcohol. She had precious few brain cells too loose as it was.

"Here's to becoming a walking salad," she said, raising her bottle in salute, downing the rest of the bottle in one gulp. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she looked over at Jack once more. _*Yup, that's what I have to look forward to,*_ she thought morosely as she took in his glazed eyes and slack posture. _*I'll probably even start to like hockey.*_

Cleaning up the stove, she shook her head to clear it from the self-pitying thoughts. She'd never been a whiner and she wasn't going to start now. So things in her life suddenly became a lot more complicated. She'd have to find a way to uncomplicate them. She'd get a good nights rest, and tomorrow, she'd tackle the problem.

Walking past Jack, she thought about wishing him a good night, but instead retrieved a pillow and quilt from a closet, wordlessly placing them on the end of the sofa. His gaze left the game momentarily to meet hers.

"Thanks. You going to bed?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty beat."

"Okay. See ya tomorrow."

Sam hesitated a moment, about to speak, then thought better of it. Simply nodding, she headed into her bedroom. Hopefully tonight sleep would come.

Jack pointed the remote at the TV, clicking it off with a sigh. _*What a game! Overtime in pre-season! This year is shaping up to be a real winner,*_ he thought as he stood and stretched. Seeing the blanket at the end of the sofa made him feel a twinge of guilt. He hadn't been much company for Sam this evening. Actually, he'd been a rather rude guest. First thing he did was land on her couch with the remote. It wasn't like she didn't know this side of him, he tried to rationalize. Hell, she's the one who told him to turn it on! Of course she probably wouldn't have suggested it if he hadn't asked.

Looking around the room, he noticed she'd straightened things up. Dishes were done, both their coats missing-probably hung in a closet. If he was honest, he knew why he was so adamant about watching the game. If he was absorbed by the television, he didn't have to talk to her. Talk to her about what this disease was doing to her, and what it would do. He knew how much it hurt him to think of the possibilities. God, what it must be doing to her!

_*Some friend,*_ he muttered, running a hand through his hair. _*Daniel would have been a better choice.*_ He should at least check on her, he decided. See if she was sleeping.

Cracking the door to her bedroom open, he felt even more guilty she had to close herself off to get some peace. She lay, curled up on her side, hands resting under her cheek. There were dark circles under her eyes, but at least some of the tension had left her face and body. Stepping closer, he crouched down next to the bed, brushing back some of the hair that had fallen across her forehead. He was grateful she was asleep. Not only so she got the rest she needed, but so he could touch her. He'd wanted to ever since that first night in the infirmary when he held her hand. But he couldn't touch her without someone misinterpreting the gesture.

Jack's fingers continued to play with the ends of her hair. He shouldn't be here, watching her sleep, touching her this way. But he couldn't help himself. He'd leave in a minute. Just a few more moments to stare at her with unguarded affection. The thumb of his caressing hand reached out and stroked her lips, slightly parted with her deep breathing.

"I'm sorry we didn't talk, Sam. But I just couldn't. The thought I could lose you is driving me crazy. I couldn't sit there and tell you not to lose faith when _*I'm*_ the one who needs reassuring."

Sam turned her head slightly, rubbing her cheek against the palm of the hand resting lightly there. "Jack," she murmured, a slight smile coming to the lips he'd just been touching. For a panicked moment Jack thought she'd woken, and she would open her eyes to see his own, inches from hers. He held his breath as she continued to sleep, releasing the air from his lungs only when her eyes remained closed.

Hearing her speak his name in her sleep sent a warm thrill through him. "One day Sam. One day I'll answer you."

~20~

Sam leaned back, rubbing her weary eyes. She's been staring into a microscope for nearly twelve hours with practically no breaks. The last one had been four hours ago when she stopped long enough to refill a Thermos with more coffee. Thank God caffeine didn't seem to affect the virus one way or another.

She knew Janet and her teammates were conscious of the hours she'd spent sequestered in the medical lab, but for the first time since she'd known them, none of them badgered her about how long she worked. They were all more than aware that time was running out for her. However, she wasn't going to fall into the trap of self-pity she'd found herself in the night before. She'd had her burst of emotionalism. It was time to get down to business.

More determined than ever, Sam sat up straighter and looked into the microscope once more. Janet had given her a crash course on microbiology, pointing out elements she should be watching for. So far, nothing she'd tried seem to stop the spread of the virus. Each time she introduced an altered version of the toxin to her sample, the virus mutated just enough to render it ineffective. Janet had likened its response to a cold, transforming just enough to elude a cure. If that was the case, she was no doubt fighting a losing battle. How the hell was she supposed to fight something that could continue to change indefinitely?

Sam heard a knock at the door of the lab and looked up to see Janet giving her a tired smile.

"How's it going?" she asked, leaning into the doorframe.

Sitting back, Sam tossed a pen on her desk. "Not so hot. How about you?"

"I think we're tied for who's had the most frustrating day. I've tried everything I can think of, but every time I think I've come up with something, the virus changes just a little bit. I haven't even found anything to slow its growth. At least it hasn't accelerated it though." Janet said, moving into the room to take a seat next to her friend.

Running her hands through her hair, Sam turned to face her. "You're sure this is going to start blocking the neural pathways in my brain?" She knew she was grasping at straws about the final outcome, but it was just so hard to believe when she felt perfectly fine.

"No, I don't know for sure. I can't be sure about anything, especially when this virus is of an alien nature. But you can't pretend it's just going to go away," Janet gently reminded her. "I can't imagine how terrifying this must be for you, but you have to be prepared."

"I know," Sam said, gazing down at her hands nervously twisting in her lap. "I've been thinking. I should probably consider a Power of Attorney, you know, if any decisions have to be made and I can't make them."

Janet swallowed, blinking back moisture that was rapidly gathering in her eyes. "It would be a good idea. You know if there's anything I can do. . . ."

Reaching over, Sam squeezed Janet's hand. "I know. You've been a true friend, Janet. I just wanted to make sure you knew that before I lose the ability to tell you."

Sam's words broke Janet's resolve and she moved forward to embrace her in a fierce hug. "Oh, Sam, I'm so sorry! I wish there was something I could do. You have no idea how much this hurts that I keep coming up with dead ends! I'm not giving up, you know that, but I don't know what to do!"

Tightening her arms around Janet, Sam said, "Look, this thing killed the Goa'ulds in a matter minutes, right? And look how long it's been since I've been exposed. That had to be a good sign, doesn't it?"

Janet sat up, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Your own immune system seems to be putting up a good fight," she agreed.

"What about the Tollan, or the Nox? Even the Asgard? Their medicine is far more advanced than ours."

"Sam, I didn't want to tell you in case you got your hopes up, but General Hammond has tried contacting our allies, and none of them can or are willing to help. Apparently the Tollan feel sharing medical knowledge falls into the same category as technology."

"I guess that's not a big surprise."

"Although, they did send they're best wishes for a 'timely recovery,'" Janet added bitterly. "The Nox claim they have no need for 'conventional' medicine because of their ability to channel energy to heal their sick."

"But they brought me back from the dead!" Sam protested. "Surely a virus would be easier to cure than bring people back to life!"

"From what I understand, they repaired the damage done to you from a staff weapon blast. It's not the same as curing a disease like this. At least it's what they claimed."

"The Asgard?" she asked hopefully.

"We haven't been able to contact them," Janet said, her gaze dropping to the floor. "From what we've been able to gather, they're having a tough time of it with the Replicators. It's doubtful even if they were able to help, they'd be able spare a ship." Janet looked up at her once more. "Colonel O'Neill in particular was holding out hope for them."

Sam nodded, trying to push her disappointment down. Jack had always seemed confident that whenever he snapped his fingers Thor would come running. However, regardless of the affection the alien had for him, there were some things beyond even Thor's control.

"So," she said. "We're back to square one and good old-fashioned Human ingenuity. We've pulled off the impossible before Janet, we'll do it again."

"Of course we will. But not tonight. You've been at this all day, Sam. It can't help matters if you exhaust yourself. You have to be especially aware of your health, now. That includes eating and getting plenty of rest."

Sam was about to protest, but Janet had a point. It was just so hard to go home and leave this problem in the lab as if it was an average experiment. Time was conspiring against her. How was she expected to go home, kick off her shoes and forget each minute was bringing her closer to losing her ability to reason?

"Cassandra and I were talking about taking in a movie, maybe getting a bite to eat. Why don't you join us?" Janet offered.

Sam smiled at the invitation, but she really didn't feel like being sociable. "Thanks, but I've got some stuff at home to take care of."

"Sam, I really don't feel comfortable with you away from the base on your own. We just don't know what this virus is capable of."

"Everything was fine last night. I don't need a baby-sitter. At least not yet." Sam was ashamed of how self-pitying the statement sounded, but she couldn't help it. She was feeling claustrophobic. Although her friends meant well, they were smothering her with their concern. They'd have plenty of time to take turns feeding her in the near future. Repressing a shudder, she turned to Janet,

"I'll take a pager, okay?"

Janet was uncertain, but seemed to understand Sam's need for independence. "Fine. But I'm going to call you later."

Past arguing with her, Sam conceded. Rubbing her hands over her face, she tried to hide an amused smile. "All right. Just don't make it too late. I have to get some sleep, you know."

~21~

General Hammond leaned back in his chair, trying to concentrate on Daniel's speech concerning P5F-883. According to the MALP transmissions, there was a recently thriving culture resembling that of the Incas and he was petitioning for the planet to be to SG-1's next mission.

He'd more or less decided to approve the request, but he was wondering if Major Carter should be included. Since her headache had dissipated, she seemed to be functioning normally, but Doctor Fraiser still appeared concerned. And rightfully so, he agreed. Whatever the alien virus was, it was still inside her, perhaps affecting her in ways they had yet to discover.

Glancing over at the major, he noticed her staring off into space. Not that he could blame her; he was having a difficult time concentrating on Jackson's impassioned plea as well. But it wasn't typical of her behavior. Whether or not it was out of courtesy or genuine interest, Sam Carter seldom spent a briefing day-dreaming.

"Thank you, Dr. Jackson," Hammond said, once Daniel had wrapped up his presentation. His words startled Sam out of her stupor, and he noticed her guilty expression and quick glance around the room. Either she was checking to see if anyone had observed her lack of attention, or was trying to catch up on what she'd missed. All four members of SG-1 turned to him for his decision.

"Well, General?" Jack prompted.

"I agree it's a planet worth looking into," Hammond began, noting the excited look on Daniel's face. "However, I can't in good conscience send Major Carter. If I authorize this mission, you'll have a _*temporary*_ replacement." The general looked at Sam, making sure she understood the meaning of his words-she wasn't being cut from the team.

"General, I understand your concern, but I assure you. . ."

"Hammond's right. Maybe you should sit this one out, Carter," Jack said, his face revealing his worry. "Besides, you really want to go crawling around a bunch of ruins on some mountain top?"

"Actually, sir, I do," she stated, staring back at him.

Hammond decided to end the matter before things got out of hand. "Major, I understand your wish to accompany your team. If Dr. Fraiser clears you, I won't remove you from this mission."

Sam was slumped in her chair, a posture he'd seldom witnessed. She was radiating her anger, but to her credit, didn't pursue the matter any further.

Pushing himself back from the table and standing, the general announced, "I'll speak with Dr. Fraiser and give you my decision concerning Major Carter within the hour. In the mean time, Colonel, start preparing your team."

"Thank you, sir," Jack said glancing at a jubilant Daniel. Hammond didn't miss the look he cast in Carter's direction, sympathy was practically radiating from him.

"I'll be in my lab, sir. If you change your mind," she said softly. Looking up, she managed a smile for the rest of her team. "Good luck, guys."

Hammond looked up at the knock on his door. "Come."

Peeking around the door, Janet asked, "You asked to see me, sir?"

Motioning her inside, he indicated she should sit in the chair in front of his desk. "Thank you for being so prompt, Doctor."

"Am I to assume this has something to do with Major Carter, sir?"

Hammond smiled. "How did you know?"

Returning the general's smile, Janet said, "she stopped by my office on the way to her lab. She wasn't too happy, sir. She said I should be expecting a call."

"So, then you're aware of what this is about."

"If you mean Sa-Major Carter's inclusion on the mission, then yes, I do. She tried to convince me to clear her for the assignment."

"I'm not surprised," Hammond said, arranging papers on his desk. "Over all, how's she handling things, Doctor?"

"I'd say as well as could be expected, sir, considering she's got an alien virus no one else seems susceptible to, and we can't seem to find a cure."

"Are you any closer to a antidote?"

"No, sir. The virus just continues to mutate with each antitoxin we come up with. I have to admit, I wouldn't be as far along as I am without the major's help."

The general nodded. Between the two of them, if there was an answer to be found, they'd be the ones to do it. "So, is Major Carter up to this mission?"

Janet took in a lungfull of air. "Physically, she's certainly up to it. Emotionally, I'd say she could use something else to think about."

"I sense a 'but' is coming."

"Sir, I just don't know what's going to happen next with this virus, and I don't want Major Carter to be off-world, if and _*when*_ it does."

"You're convinced there'll be further complications?"

"Her headache might be gone now, but I think that was just a precursor. Her body has been fighting the virus. I think the real damage is taking place now."

"You mean the loss of certain mental functions you mentioned earlier."

Janet swallowed. "Yes, sir. She's already starting to show some signs of forgetfulness and inattentiveness that frankly just aren't normal behavior for her."

"I noticed that myself today. She seemed quite distracted during Dr. Jackson's presentation."

Trying to hide her grin, Janet said, "From what I understand it's a rather common problem."

Hammond, too, found his lips twitching into a smile. "Usually not to this degree."

"In that case, sir, I really can't recommend Major Carter for this mission. I have no idea how fast this is going to progress. As I've mentioned to the major, it's remarkable it's taken as long as it has. From what we've been able to tell, death was almost instantaneous for the Goa'uld. I would have though this disease would have progressed beyond this point by now."

"I take it you see this as a positive sign?" he asked hopefully.

"Well, sir, the longer it takes her to develop more symptoms, of course the better. It also gives us more time to find a cure. I'm not stopping until I find something. Even if it merely treats the symptoms, it's going to be a step in the right direction."

Running a hand over his broad face, Hammond nodded in agreement. "I'm going to assign Captain Robelek to SG-1 for this mission. I'm counting on this being only a temporary assignment, Doctor."

"I hope so, too, sir."

Hammond dismissed her with a relaxed salute, but before she left his office, she turned back to him. "One more thing, sir. If this does go to a worst case scenario, Major Carter is going to need someone to look after her." Clearing her throat, she continued. "I'm volunteering my services, and I'm sure SG-1 would be willing to help as well."

"There's no doubt in my mind, Doctor. In fact, I'd like to see you _*try*_ to keep them away."

Janet managed a small smile. "It's inconceivable, sir."

~22~

Sam was back in her own lab, taking a breather from working on the virus. Lately, the more she stared at it, the less she seemed to see. A break in her routine was certainly what she needed. But sitting at her desk, she couldn't for the life of her figure out what she was going to work on. Looking around the table were several items SG-1 had brought back from P5F-883.

"Right," she said aloud. "I was going to test the artifacts for naquada." Shaking her head to clear it, she found herself drifting off again as she absentmindedly fiddled with a statue. Why was it she couldn't seem to concentrate on anything lately? It was as if her attention span had gone to that of a two year-old. "Or Colonel O'Neill," she said with a smile.

She knew what it was. But she didn't want to face it. How long had Janet been warning her this was going to happen? But it seemed as if it had gotten worse in the last few days. It started two days ago when she couldn't find her car keys. Being a creature of habit, she always placed her keys on the table in the foyer. But that morning, she found them on her bedroom dresser, after searching every logical place she could think of. Why she'd placed them there, she had no clue. Apparently she'd forgotten to leave them in their usual spot, and just dropped them when she'd gotten to her room. It was odd she'd head there in the first place. Normally she'd remove her jacket and check her messages.

Everything she'd done that night had been out of sequence. At the time, she'd put it down to being preoccupied, but she couldn't use that excuse any longer. The lapses were becoming more frequent. It was as if there was a wall between her and what she knew. The information she needed was all there, she just couldn't access it. Like a computer with a corrupted file.

Running her hands through her hair, Sam realized she'd drifted off again. It was a disconcerting feeling to be so unfocussed. Still, ignoring the signs wasn't doing her any good. There were decisions to be made, and she had to make them before she couldn't.

Logically, she knew she had to inform Janet of the changes, but she hesitated. A part of her didn't want the actual confirmation, and yet there was a part of her that needed facts. She needed a time frame to prepare herself.

"Just go, Carter!" she admonished herself. "Ignoring the problem isn't going to make it go away." Sucking in a deep breath, she stood, determined to face this latest revelation head-on.

Sam knocked on Janet's door, causing her to jump at the sound. "Sorry," she apologized as she entered the cramped office. Leaning against the doctor's desk, she met her friend's questioning gaze. "I think I need you to do another CT scan."

"Something else happen?" Janet asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

"Nothing Earth shattering," she said with an embarrassed smile. "It's just that my concentration seems really off the last couple of days, and I'm getting kind of absent-minded." She went on to tell her the story of her car keys as well as the other instances she'd noticed.

"I'm scared, Janet," Sam confessed. "You have no idea how frightening this is, wondering if today is going to be the last day I remember people, or places. Or if this will be the last day I'll be able to communicate intelligently." Sam looked down at her fingers, flexing them as if she was checking to see if she still had motor control. "I was in the grocery store the other day. There was a mother and her son. He was about twelve, I guess. Anyway, it was obvious he had some kind of learning disability. This mother had all the patience in the world with him, pulling down boxes of cereal, asking him if that was the kind he wanted. She'd make him try to read the name, and most of the time he got them right. She was grinning from ear to ear, telling him how pleased she was he'd been making progress at school and how he could read so much better, et cetera. All I could think of was that was going to be me. In a short time, I'd be that kid, struggling to read "Froot Loops."

Janet enveloped her in a hug, fighting back tears. "I wish I knew what to say, Sam. I can't promise you that won't happen."

Swallowing back her own emotion, Sam said, "I know. It's just that everything I am has been associated with my intelligence. I was doing math before I was in kindergarten. It made me special. I _*liked*_ that it made me special. It made me try all the harder to learn everything I could." The look on her face turned wistful. "You should have seen my Dad when I won my first science competition. He was so proud of me. I think it was one of the few times he'd ever said the words. Mom had recently died and he'd shut himself off from Mark and me. I tried so hard to impress him, to get any reaction out of him. I needed his approval so much. I'll never forget that smile he gave me. It was the first I'd seen in months. From that moment on, I knew I had to be the best. There was no way I was going to let him down."

"Sam, you've contracted a _*virus*_ you didn't have any control over catching it. Surely you don't think this is going to change how your father feels about you?"

Sam looked up, the tears she'd been struggling with making her eyes luminous. "Logically, no. I mean I _*know*_ he loves me, but that scared little girl is still in here too, terrified the only reason he cares is because I'm smart. And soon, I won't even have that."

"Have you talked to your Dad? I mean I know you can't see him, but maybe you should try the long-range communication device. I'm sure he'll tell you your fears are groundless."

"I've been kind of scared to try. What if he _*is*_ disappointed in me?"

"Sam! You can't honestly believe he would feel that way! He's your father! And you've said yourself you've mended a lot of fences since he's become joined with Selmak. I think you have to talk to him, Sam. It's not going to change what's happening to you, but maybe he can help ease some of your worry."

Janet was right. Sam knew she was right, but it still didn't make it any easier to take that first step to try to contact him. She would do it though, if for no other reason than to say farewell. She wouldn't say good-bye. She wasn't to that point yet.

~23~

Paperwork. God he hated it. What he wouldn't give for a distraction right about-a knock sounded on his office door-now. Jack looked towards the ceiling, mouthing a silent "thank you."

"Come."

Sam stuck her head into his office. "Are you busy, sir?"

Pushing the reports to the side of his desk, he gave her an inviting smile. "Not at all, Carter. What can I do for you?" He saw her eyes flick to the stack of papers and knew he hadn't fooled her for a moment.

"It's kind of a personal matter, sir."

"Oh," he said, starting to feel decidedly uncomfortable. Carter never talked personal stuff with him. He knew about certain aspects of her life outside the SGC, but they'd never really talked about it. "Ya know, maybe this is something Fraiser or Daniel is better equipped to handle. I mean they. . . "

"Janet's the one who suggested I talk to you," she interrupted. "Well, not you _*specifically.*_ That was my choice."

"Oh," he said again, unsure what to add. "I guess I'm flattered?" The fact he'd winced and made the statement a question probably tipped her off he wasn't comfortable with the direction their conversation was taking.

"Sir, I know this is probably making you uneasy, but I have to make some arrangements."

_*Bingo!*_ he thought. "Arrangements?"

"Legalities, actually."

"Legalities. As in. . . .?"

Sam took a deep breath. "As in Power of Attorney. I'm going to need someone legally able to make decisions on my behalf in the future."

Jack stood, pacing behind his desk. "Look, Carter aren't you jumping the gun a bit? I mean you and Fraiser could find a cure to this tomorrow or. . ."

"That's not likely, sir. Truth is, the symptoms Janet warned me about have started to set in. And the CT scan I had this morning confirmed it. I'm still 'all here' at the moment, but I've already had some lapses in concentration, periods of absent-mindedness. It's only going to get worse."

He'd been trying to ignore his own observations of her uncharacteristic behavior, but it was little hard to look her in the face and deny it was happening. Daniel had told him he'd caught Sam sitting in her lab, staring off into space with a vacant look on her face. He'd tried to joke it away, but in his heart Jack knew Sam's worst nightmare was coming true.

"Shouldn't this be something your Dad or Mark should do?" he asked. Not that he wasn't willing to help her out, but it seemed as though he didn't have the right to be the one to make important decisions for her.

"Well, Dad can't come to Earth for obvious reasons, and Mark? He could deal with my finances, I suppose, but anything having to do with the SGC, he wouldn't have clearance for. Sir, I know this is a lot to ask of you, but you're the one I trust to carry out my wishes."

Jack swallowed, ending his pacing to look her in the eyes. She trusted him that much? "Carter, I'm honored you think so highly of me, but are you sure you've got the right guy?"

"Sir, every time I step through that 'gate I put my life into your hands. All I'm asking you to do is extend that trust into a little responsibility as well."

When she put it that way, did he really have a choice? "Of course I'll do it, Carter, it's just that I think it's unnecessary. You're going to be _*fine.*_"

Sam smiled at him, touching his sleeve. "I thought I had a corner on the denial market. This is happening, Jack. No amount of wishful thinking or rationalization is going to make it go away. Within the week I'll probably have lost the ability to make this choice."

Jack didn't know what shocked him more, her sudden familiarity or that she was going to be incapacitated in such a short time. "God, Sam," he choked out. Not even thinking he pulled her into a fierce hug, holding her so close he was probably hurting her. But she clung to him just as tightly. Time seemed to stall as they embraced, neither wanting to break the spell holding them together.

"I don't want to lose you," he whispered.

"I don't want to be lost," she replied, pulling out of his arms at last. He continued to hold her hands, unwilling to let her go just yet.

"Carter," he said, slipping back into his usual role, "This is probably premature, but I wanted to make sure you knew what it's meant to me to have you as my second-in-command."

Sam tried to disengage her hands, but Jack held firm. "Sir, you don't have to say. . ."

"I know, but I want to. I should tell you this more often. It shouldn't take something like. . .this to force my hand." He blew out a breath, then looked up to meet her gaze. "You're the best, Carter. I don't just mean at the science stuff. That goes without saying. We work so well together. You've always been a mind reader," he said with a smile. Sam looked away in embarrassment, and he disengaged a hand long enough to turn her face back towards him. "I've never had to explain what I meant when I gave an order. You always just knew. That first mission, when we went back to Abydos to find Daniel? Even when I was giving you six kinds of shit you were professional. Sliding into the role of 2IC like you'd always been there. It impressed the hell out of me."

Sam's eyes grew wide. "Really? I thought after that mission you'd gone straight to Hammond and demanded a replacement! I thought perhaps I'd gained your respect over time, I mean I _*hoped*_ I had. . ."

"You've always had my respect, Carter. And you always will. No matter what happens."

Sam swallowed, blinking rapidly. "Thank you, sir. You don't know how much that means to me."

There was an awkward silence, and Jack dropped her other hand, realizing for the first time he'd still held it. Clearing his throat he motioned back towards his desk. "I suppose I really should get some work done on those."

"Of course, sir," Sam said, straightening her posture and taking a step back. "I'll get the papers drawn up and bring them by tomorrow if that's okay?"

"Sure."

They continued to stare at each other, both clearly unsure what else to say. Sam spoke first, saving him from saying something lame.

"Thanks again, sir." With that, she exited his office, leaving him feeling completely overwhelmed.

_*What the hell did you get yourself into this time, Jack?*_ he asked himself as he took his seat behind the desk. Well, he could hardly refuse her. But, God, he didn't want to think about having to make decisions for her! What if this virus _*did*_ start affecting her autonomic functions and she was being kept alive on machines? He knew her wishes when it came to that. Hadn't he already "pulled the plug" on her once already? Could he do it again?

Burying his face in his hands he felt the weight of this responsibility settle squarely on his shoulders. He didn't want it, but at the same time he couldn't have stood idly by if she'd chosen someone else to carry out her wishes. It would have hurt more than the obligation she'd saddled him with.

"There has to be a way to stop this," he mumbled to himself. He couldn't believe he was going to have watch her slip away a little more each day. Again he was impressed with her bravery. He wouldn't be handling this as well as she was. He'd always assumed he'd go out in a blaze of glory, hopefully saving his team in the process. No doubt she had similar notions. To be condemned to a walking void had to be worse than dying.

_*Why did it have to be Sam?*_ he raged inwardly for the millionth time. Why not him, whose brains weren't worth as much as hers? He would gladly sacrifice himself for her as he'd once tried when Freya was going to try to "cure" him. But this time, he hadn't been given the choice.

~24~

Janet walked into the commissary, getting herself a mug of coffee before she joined SG-1. SG-1 minus Sam. She'd asked them to join her, but felt since her office was close to Sam's lab, she might have seen her team mates gathered and wonder why she hadn't been included.

"Thank you for coming," she said, joining the men at a table in the corner.

"So, Doc, what's this all about?" Jack asked, already fiddling with the salt and pepper shakers.

Janet looked at each of them. "As you might have guessed, it has to do with Sam."

"Got that when she wasn't here," Jack said, leaning back in his chair.

"Did something else happen?" Daniel asked, concern evident on his face.

Rubbing a hand across her eyebrows, Janet gave an exasperated sigh. "Nothing more than has been happening." Taking a seat she took a sip of coffee before she continued. "As I'm sure you've noticed, Sam has been starting to show signs that the virus is blocking her neural pathways. She's become less attentive, sometimes searching for a word she wants, even if that word is a relatively simple one."

"Spacey," Jack said.

"What?" Daniel asked, his attention pulled away from the doctor.

"Spacey. Carter's spacey. You know, zoned out."

"I got that," Daniel replied, sounding irritated. "Go on, Janet."

Casting a glance at O'Neill she added, "From the scans I took earlier, it's progressing at a fairly rapid rate. By the end of the week, I think she's going to have real problems communicating, as well as not remembering a good portion of her life." The three men sat in shocked silence.

"That is most unfortunate," Teal'c said, genuine sympathy in his voice.

"What about us? Will she know us?" Daniel asked.

"I can't say for sure. I'm hoping she'll have that at least. In a way, this is like Alzheimer's Disease. She'll probably have access to random memories, but in no specific order. Sometimes she may know you, others, she might not."

"God," Daniel sighed.

"Ya. Tell me about it," Jack said. "You know she asked about giving me Power of Attorney?"

"I thought you'd be the one," Janet said. "When she brought it up, I thought it was probably a good idea. Are you okay with that, sir?"

"No!" Jack almost yelled. Then quieter, he added, "It's not that she asked me. It's knowing _*why*_ she asked me."

Janet simply nodded. "I know none of us want to face the fact we're losing the person Sam is by the hour, but sticking our heads in the sand isn't helping anyone. Within the week she's going to need assistance."

"What kind of assistance?" Daniel asked, his gaze flicking to each of his friends.

"Well, to be blunt, baby-sitting. She won't be capable of working at the SGC, and she's going to need someone watching over her. If she cooks, making sure the stove gets turned off; if she goes outside, that she's dressed properly. You get the idea. She won't be able to drive, so if she needs to go to the store, someone will have to take her."

"So what are we talking here? Twenty-four/seven?" Jack asked.

"Not at first, but it may come to that. I'm open to suggestions."

"I believe we should take turns guarding SamanthaCarter," Teal'c stated.

"Well, I don't know that she has to be guarded, but I was thinking of something along the lines of setting up a schedule. At first someone checking on her once or twice a day should be enough. If she continues to deteriorate, it may end up being around the clock. In that case, I think we'll have to think about the possibility of permanent placement in a facility designed to care for people with these types of problems." Janet closed her eyes against the pain. She didn't want to think of that eventuality, but if she expected her friends to accept the bitter truth, she couldn't ask less of herself.

"No." Jack stated resolutely.

"No, what?" Daniel wondered.

"No, I won't put Carter in a home. I'll retire myself first."

Janet gaped at him along with his teammates. "Sir, I admire your loyalty to Major Carter but I don't think you're aware of what you'd be taking on."

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Tomorrow she's giving me the right to make decisions for her, and the first one I'm going to make is not letting her be put away in some box with nothing but white walls to stare at all day."

"Jack it's not like you couldn't visit her," Daniel tried to reason.

"Are you telling me you think some sterile home would be what's best for her?" Jack accused.

"No, of course not. It's just that maybe Janet has a point and you'd be taking on more than you could handle. I'm sure Sam wouldn't want you giving up your life for her."

"Gentlemen, It's really neither her nor there at this point. This may not become as bad as it could. Maybe the virus will mutate again and she won't lose her cognitive abilities. I just want you to be prepared for what _*might*_ happen."

"So, she could still kick this thing?" Jack asked hopefully.

Not wanting to raise false hopes, Janet tried to decide how to word her reply. "She's already hung on longer than I expected. We're seeing a totally new strain of the virus in her. It was designed to seek out a Goa'uld and kill it. But Sam doesn't have a Goa'uld, so the virus has had to get creative. It's attacking her brain in a similar fashion, but lacks whatever is necessary for it to carry out its function to completion."

"Are you inclined to believe you could still cure MajorCarter if you were able to make a vaccine?" Teal'c asked.

"Yes, I think I could. _*If*_ and it's a big 'if' I could find a way to make a broad-based vaccine it before it has a chance to mutate. The only trouble is, I don't have a pure sample. Even the first blood I took from Sam it had already changed. I need a specimen of the virus in its natural state. Preferably dormant."

"I believe this might be possible."

"What are you saying, Teal'c? Daniel and I have been back to that planet and we didn't find any sign of the virus."

"Well, maybe we did and we just didn't know it," Daniel said. "After all, we're immune. We could have touched it, inhaled it, took a bath in the stuff and it wouldn't have made any difference."

"I believe I may be of assistance in this matter."

"How?" Jack and Daniel asked at the same time.

"If I were to accompany you, my symbiote would react to the presence of the virus. Perhaps you could use its reaction to locate the sample you seek."

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Teal'c," Janet said. "After all, your symbiote is just as susceptible as any Goa'uld."

"Besides, we don't know how this is transmitted," Daniel spoke up. "If it's airborne you might pick it up before you know it."

"I do not believe that is the case, DanielJackson. The only time my symbiote was agitated was while I was in the temple. I was there long enough to have breathed in a virus had there been one present."

"So, what other ways are there to get a virus?" Daniel asked.

"Touch, ingestion. But I doubt any of you-including Sam-ate anything you found in the temple."

"Touch," Jack said. "You mean touching something that might have been infected. Like the bones or something?"

"Well, that could be one way," Janet agreed, but the first Goa'uld wouldn't have had any infected bones to touch. Now if this _*is*_ the delivery system it could be absorbed into the skin or if there was a break in the skin-like a cut-that could be how the virus enters the host's body.

"It is highly unlikely the Goa'uld would have any lesions," Teal'c added. "The host's body would have been healed of such imperfections."

"Well, it could be similar to how a cold is transmitted. Touch something with the active virus on it, then touch your eyes, nose, mouth anything that's an opening, and you've picked up the cold."

"I did not touch anything the last time I entered the temple. If I do not this time, I believe my symbiote would not become infected."

"That's a pretty big risk, Teal'c. It's not like we can just stop in at Chulak and get you a new primate. . ."

"Prim'ta."

"Whatever."

"Have you not risked your life for SamanthaCarter on many occasions, O'Neill?"

"Well, yeah, but it kind of goes with the territory of being a CO and all."

"On several occasions she has taken risks with her life for mine. I could do no less for her now."

Jack didn't have a counter argument for Teal'c and Janet knew it would be futile to try to convince the Jaffa not to go. Providing Hammond authorized the mission.

"Okay," she conceded. "But this time I'm going with you. It's not that I don't trust you guys, but I might find something you might miss. And Teal'c, you're wearing a hazmat suit. No arguments or I won't allow you on the planet."

"Agreed."

Janet looked at the men who seemed a bit more hopeful than a few minutes ago. "Now all we have to do is convince the general to send us back."

~25~

Sam stood at the doorway of her house, having the nagging feeling she was forgetting something. Not that she didn't always feel that way lately. It was like everything she was trying to think of was just beyond her reach. Okay. Retrace her steps. Janet said seeing something where she'd just been might spark a memory. So. Where had she come from? Kitchen! She'd been picking her jacket up off the dining room chair.

Walking back to the table, she noticed papers on the countertop of the island. Papers! That's what she was missing! She was supposed to give them to. . . to. . .Jack! Colonel O'Neill! God she hated this feeling. It was if she was seeing everything through a haze. Like being continually drunk or stoned. She couldn't believe people actually _*tried*_ to achieve this state! Well, she'd been there herself more times than she wanted to admit, but if she ever got over this, her future limit was going to be two beers!

Sam stared at the papers in her hand. Why was she supposed to give them to Jack? Power of Attorney? Right. Because she couldn't seem to keep a thought in her head for more than a minute. Okay. Driving to work. She needed keys. Looking down at her right hand, she noticed she was clutching her keys as if she was determined not to lose them. Well, she probably was. Take the papers; go to the car.

Stepping out into the early morning sun, Sam was dazed by the sight. It was beautiful, she decided, the first orange rays were touching the tops of the trees. But she was supposed to be going to work, not admiring the sun. She had work to do. She couldn't remember quite what it was, but it was important. Something to do with Janet and why her memory was crap lately. The virus. Right. The one that was making everything she did twice as hard as it should be.

Sam unlocked the door, sliding into the driver's seat, placing the papers on the other seat. _*Don't forget to take them,*_ she mentally reminded herself as she stuck the key in the ignition. But she sat there, just looking at the steering wheel, thinking of nothing, just staring. She didn't know how long she'd been sitting there, or how long she would have continued to stare off into space if her neighbor hadn't called a greeting to her as he jogged by. The sun was much higher now, so she must have been sitting there for some time.

Shaking her head, trying to clear the cobwebs, Sam turned the key, starting the engine. She had to work on keeping her mind on what she was doing. Driving to work. First step, check to see if there were cars coming before she pulled out away from the curb. She took a deep breath. So far, so good. _*I can do this,*_ she told herself as she accelerated to the stop at the end of her block. Sitting there for a moment she couldn't remember if it was right or left. Left. It was left. Put on the turn signal. Check for cars.

The rest of Sam's journey to Cheyenne Mountain was just as methodical. If she broke everything down into small steps, it seemed her mind didn't have so far to wander. Although, she had run a red light and it was only by the grace of God she hadn't been side-swiped by an on-coming car. Pulling into the lot at NORAD, she wondered if she'd be capable of a return journey.

She remembered to grab the papers off the passenger seat-they were important for some reason. Stepping up to the check-point, she blinked at the clip board the airman was holding out to her.

"I need your signature, ma'am," he said when she didn't take the sign-in sheet. The pen felt awkward in her hand, and her writing wasn't as fluid as it had been yesterday. God this was frustrating! She tried to make her hand obey her, but it seemed to have a will of its own. The airman frowned at the scribble on the sheet, looking up to make sure it was indeed Major Carter who was attempting to enter the facility.

"I hurt my hand," Sam said, knowing it was a flimsy excuse, but she didn't want to explain to a check-point guard what had happened to her in the past week. He simply nodded and sent her through.

She continued to talk herself through each step of her journey, garnering strange looks from the other occupant in the elevator as she muttered her plan to get to her lab.

"Major Carter, are you feeling all right?" the female lieutenant asked when she began repeating her steps aloud. Sam stared, then blinked. It seemed like ages passed before she found herself answering she was fine. Just a little tired.

_*No,*_ she thought to herself. _*I just can't think!*_

"Maybe you should see Dr. Fraiser?" the woman suggested, moving closer.

_*Janet! Yes! I should talk to Janet. She'll help me,*_ Sam thought. "I'll stop and see her," she told the lieutenant, giving her a crooked smile.

"Ma'am? Would you like some assistance?" The concerned airman asked.

"No! I'm fine! No one believes me that I'm fine!" Sam shouted, stepping away and turning her back on the woman. "I just need to think!" she slapped her forehead as if it was going to help clear the haze, but it didn't help. At this rate she'd be incapacitated before the week was out.

The elevator stopped on level 21, but Sam stood before the open doors, unmoving.

"Ma'am, this is your floor," the woman said.

"Yes, yes it is," Sam said, taking a step forward, wondering if the woman was going to follow her. Fortunately the doors slid shut once more, leaving her alone in the hallway. For a moment she stood there, trying to remember if she wanted to see Jack-Colonel O'Neill!-or if she should try to find Janet. Level 21. Her lab was here as well as the infirmary. Janet would be the closest.

Still clutching the papers in her hand, she walked towards the medical facility. Sam entered the infirmary, but had forgotten exactly why she was there. She wasn't hurt, but she knew she was supposed to come here. Dazed, Sam stood in the doorway, until a nurse approached her.

"Major Carter? Is there something I can help you with?"

"Um. Yeah, I think so. Janet. Is Janet here?"

"No, ma'am. Dr. Fraiser and the rest of SG-1 have gone back to the planet. The one where you. . . .contracted the virus?" The nurse seemed to hesitate, as if she didn't want to remind her of why her team would be off-world without her. "I thought she called you."

Sam gave the nurse an embarrassed smile. "You're right, she did. I guess it slipped my mind." _*Understatement of the year!*_ she thought to herself.

The nurse's face screwed up in an expression of sympathy. "Is there something I could help you with?" she asked, starting to reach for the papers in her hand.

Quickly moving them out of her reach, Sam clasped the sheets to her chest. "No! They're for Jack!" she cried, then calmer, "I mean Colonel O'Neill. They're for him."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize. . . ."

"I'm sorry too, Captain. It's been a rough morning."

The nurse patted her arm. "Let me know if I can help you with anything."

"Yeah, help me remember where I left my mind," Sam muttered to herself as she left.

With everyone gone, she felt even more lost. Janet would have given her something to work on; Daniel would have stopped by her lab and talked to her about the latest translation he'd made. And Jack? He might have come by as well, berating her for working too hard or not eating.

Had she eaten that morning? She couldn't remember what she'd had, but then again she couldn't remember _*not*_ eating. She didn't feel hungry, so she must have had something, right? It didn't matter. When she got hungry, she'd go to the. . .the. . . comm. . .commissary to eat. That's where people who worked here ate. Now she had to go to work. She worked on this floor. Down this hallway to the left. She would work in her lab, and when her friends came back from the planet, maybe they'd have something to help her.

~26~

Janet stepped through the event horizon on R4X-642 trying to quell her nausea. Looking over at the guys, they seemed to be taking the sensation in stride, but then again, she supposed if you did this enough you'd eventually get used to it. If you weren't susceptible to motion sickness that is. Unfortunately, she was. She'd taken something for it, but apparently wormhole travel was a bit more than it could handle.

"You okay, Doc? Ya look a little green," Jack said, trying to hide a smirk.

"Great," she said. "Just trying to blend in with the scenery."

Daniel stepped closer, taking her arm to steady her. Quietly, so the others wouldn't hear, he whispered, "I still feel that way every time I go through. Don't let Jack give you any crap."

Janet smiled at his words and assistance, standing up straighter. Daniel's hand fell away as she gazed in wonder at the scenery. It was so rare that she traveled off-world, she knew she looked like a kid at Christmas, gaping at the sight before her. Glancing over at O'Neill, she saw him smothering a grin and knew he'd caught her staring in open-mouthed amazement.

"Sorry, Doc but we really should get to that temple if we want to have a look around," he gently reminded her.

"Of course," she said, shaking off her stupor. Although she knew the teams she took care of went to other worlds, she still found it astonishing after all these years. But to actually go herself seemed almost beyond her comprehension. There were times she envied Sam her position on this team, but when she thought of what being part of SG-1 had meant for her recently, Janet wasn't so sure she wanted to trade places with her.

Looking back at Teal'c, she asked, "How're you doing with the suit?"

"I find it somewhat restrictive, but I shall persevere."

Janet smiled at Teal'c's comment. It was the closest he'd come to complaining.

"Okay, kids. Time's a-wasting," Jack said, heading off into the tropical foliage.

Janet knew she should be looking for possible clues to Sam's illness, but she couldn't help admiring the planet. It was so much like Earth. If it wasn't for the absence of high-rise hotels and tacky souvenir vendors, she would have sworn she was in Hawaii.

"Almost there," Daniel announced.

"Ya know, this place is starting to give me the creeps," Jack said, holding a branch aside for Janet.

"I too have had my reservations about returning to this planet," Teal'c said, his voice oddly hollow in the hazmat suit.

"I think it's the lack of people that gets me," Daniel said. "It's just so eerie that they vanished without a trace."

As O'Neill pushed his way through the last of the foliage, Janet saw what Daniel had been talking about. The village was deserted. It looked abandoned rather than destroyed.

"This does seem odd," Janet said, moving forward to inspect one of the cooking pits. "Their utensils are just left here like they were going to return to their tasks, but they never came back."

Daniel crouched down beside her. "And nothing is disturbed. The fires just eventually burned themselves out."

"Guys, I know you find this little mystery fascinating, but we have another that's a bit more pressing, don't ya think? Carter's losing it by the hour. Right now I don't care what happened to these people unless one steps from the jungle and tells us how to cure her."

Jack's tone was harsh, but Janet couldn't blame him. He'd tried to be professional throughout this whole ordeal, but it was wearing on him. They were all concerned about Sam, but none more than O'Neill. She understood his frustration. Without a scientific background, he wasn't any help in the labs. _*This*_ was what he could do. He could come to this planet and look for answers. At least this way he was doing something to help her. She'd watched him growing more and more restless as the days went by without a solution. He needed this trip to the planet almost as much as Sam did.

"Is that the temple?" she asked.

"Yeah," Jack acknowledged. "You need any help with your gear?"

"I've got it. Thanks." Janet followed O'Neill into the temple, lugging her sample case. Daniel and Teal'c brought up the rear. "This is amazing!" Janet breathed, looking around at the carved stones. "I'm no archeologist, but isn't this a little advanced for a Polynesian culture? It almost seems Mayan."

Daniel's face glowed with pride. "Yes! That's what I thought! It could be that the culture here moved beyond that of Earth's or maybe there _*was*_ some type of Mayan or Mayan-like influence because if you look at this inscription over here. . . "

"Daniel! Can we skip the history lesson?"

Daniel's face fell, and Janet immediately felt sorry for him. Sometimes in his bid to help one of his friends, Jack didn't realize how he hurt the others.

"I'd like to hear more about this," Janet assured him, "but Colonel O'Neill is right. We're here to look for some clues to the virus."

Daniel nodded, the hurt look fading from his face. "What exactly are we looking for?"

"Well, I'm not sure. So far we've ruled out airborne, so it might be on something, the rocks, in the dirt, maybe even the statue."

"The statue!" Jack exclaimed, striding to where it sat in the middle of the room. "The last time I was here I tried to move it and it was covered with this sticky stuff. I thought it was some kind of jungle mold or something. Could it be living in that?"

A smile burst across Janet's face. "It's a very good possibility! Teal'c, are you sensing anything?"

"I have felt nothing since entering this chamber. Perhaps this suit is preventing my symbiote from detecting its presence."

Janet's grin widened. "That's the point, Teal'c. To prevent you from getting sick."

"But I cannot be of assistance if I cannot ascertain if the virus is present or not." Before Janet could stop him, Teal'c was opening the closure on the orange suit.

"Teal'c! You're exposing yourself to the virus!" she cried, rushing to re-seal his suit.

"I shall be fine, DoctorFraiser," he said, gently pushing her aside as he approached the statue. "This is most definitely the source," he said as he hurriedly backed away. "Once more I find I must leave."

Janet watched him vanish through the small opening in the wall, following immediately behind him. "Teal'c? Are you all right?"

He was leaning against the side of the temple, breathing hard. Beads of sweat stood out on his forehead, but he gave her a slight nod. "I shall be fine," he stated again. "I was not that close the last time."

Janet was instantly concerned, placing her hand on the hot skin of his forehead. "You're very warm. What about your symbiote?"

"My Prim'ta is agitated but only in reaction to the presence of the virus. I do not believe it has been harmed. I did not touch the statue so I do not believe I have come in contact with the infectious agent."

Jack crawled out of the temple, moving to help steady the Jaffa. "You okay, buddy?"

"I shall be fine, O'Neill."

"Is that all he ever says?" Janet asked, searching through her bag for a thermometer.

Daniel suppressed a smile as he joined them. "Either that or 'do not concern yourself.' Teal'c when are you going to learn that just because you're a Jaffa you're not invincible?"

"DoctorFraiser needed to know if the virus was present. I am the only one who could determined that fact."

Daniel just shook his head. "I guess there's no arguing with you."

"Indeed."

Janet slipped the thermometer into his mouth, holding up her hand to forestall his argument. "I know, I know, Junior will take care of you, but humor me. Whether you've contracted the virus or not, your symbiote is working hard to protect you. I just want to make sure its not working _*too*_ hard."

Teal'c stood mute, managing to grimace around the temperature gauge protruding from his mouth. The beeper sounded and Janet removed the device.

"It's a little high for you, but not dangerous. I'm going to take another look at that statue. And you," she said, poking Teal'c in the chest for emphasis, "are going to stay out here. Is that understood?"

Teal'c merely inclined his head.

"Sir, stay with him? Make sure he's okay? Daniel, could you give me a hand?"

Daniel followed her back into the temple, accepting the pair of rubber gloves she handed him. "So, what are we doing?"

"My theory is that whatever substance is on the statue, it's the medium used to keep the virus alive." Janet moved to let the sunlight hit the sculpture, using a tiny plastic spatula to scrape some of the coating off. It was gelatinous, coming off in long strings that she wound around the collector before placing it in a bag.

"Ewww," Daniel said as she gathered another sample. "I can just imagine what colorful metaphors Jack would use to describe this."

Janet smiled. "It boggles the mind."

"Funny you should say that." Glancing up, Janet gave him a quizzical look. "I just mean since it's 'boggling' Sam's mind and all."

"Well, hopefully this is going to help. I had some new thoughts about how we might develop a broad-base vaccine. I just wish there was a virologist I could talk to that had the proper clearance."

"Surely there has to be someone," Daniel said.

"General Hammond is working on it. Even though this doesn't appear to affect Humans, it's not the sort of thing he can afford to have leak out to the public. He keeps telling me he has complete faith in me. I wish I did."

"Hey," Daniel said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, giving her a hug. "We all have faith in you. You've never let us down yet!"

Janet blinked back the moisture gathering in her eyes. "Thanks, Daniel. I know I'm supposed to stay detached, and not get involved, but it's a little hard when it's my best friend. Watching Sam deteriorate daily is killing me. This has to work. I don't know what else I can try."

"You'll do it, Janet. No doubt about it. Now, we should get this stuff back to Earth before Jack decides he wants to try to help."

~27~

Sitting on a bed in the infirmary, Janet found herself empathizing with SG-1. She could count on one hand the number of times she'd been the recipient of a post-mission physical, but this time she thought Dr. Warner was being excessive. Even _*she*_ wasn't this thorough! Looking to her right, she saw Colonel O'Neill staring back at her, grin as wide as Texas across his face.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing," he said, somehow managing to grin even wider. "Just nice to see the shoe on the other foot for a change. Or, the needle in the other butt as the case may be."

Janet narrowed her gaze at him. "Remember, Colonel, I'll be on duty after your next mission." Jack's smile slipped a bit at that, but he was still milking her discomfort for all it was worth. She supposed she couldn't blame him. After all, he had to go through this on a regular basis. But did he have to be so accommodating to Warner just to piss her off?

Finally cleared, Janet headed straight to her lab, only to find Sam seated in front of a microscope, staring off into space.

"Sam? What are you doing here?"

Sam jumped at the sound of Janet's voice, turning to look at her with vague eyes. She blinked slowly, appearing almost drugged.

"Janet?"

"Yeah, honey, it's me," she said, taking a seat next to her. "Sam, what are you doing here?" she repeated. "I called you last night and told you not to come in because I was going off-world, remember?"

"No, I don't," she said, tears filling her eyes. "I talked to you?"

"Yes, I told you that since I wasn't going to be here it would be better if you stayed home. Did you drive here?"

"I think so," she said, looking like she really had to concentrate to access the information. "Yes. Yes I did drive here. I think I almost hit a car."

Janet took a deep breath. She was really hoping they wouldn't have to take turns watching her; that she'd have a cure before Sam degenerated to this. Unfortunately, it seemed as if she was losing the battle against the virus, her own immune system unable to slow the spread of the disease.

"Sam, I've talked with the guys and we're going help you at home for a while, okay? You're going to need someone to drive you home and help you with some chores around the house."

"No," she almost wailed. "I don't want help!"

"Sam!" Janet said sharply, then softened her tone. "You need help. It's just like when you broke your arm, the guys and I all helped you out then, didn't we?"

"Yes," she said, looking down at the floor. "But I don't want you too. You're busy."

"Not too busy to help. Granted, it's probably going to be the guys more than me since I'm still hoping to find a cure for this."

Janet noticed Sam's speech was changing as well. She spoke in shorter sentences, with simpler words. That more than anything hit home how much this was affecting Sam. She'd always been so articulate, never at a loss for words. To see her struggle to get concepts across was almost physically painful.

"Sam, there's a drug I want you to try called L-DOPA. It helps your body produce dopamine which stimulates the neurotransmitters in your brain. Now it's not a cure, but it may stave off some of the symptoms you're showing. I would have had you try this sooner, but you were holding your own. However, your condition is deteriorating faster than I had anticipated."

"Will it help me think?"

Janet smiled. "Well, I don't know, but things you try to do shouldn't be as difficult. Come on. We'll try a sample dose and if there's no side effects, I'll let one of the guys take you home."

~28~

Daniel tapped his pen against his desk, lost in thought. He was pretty sure he had cracked the language barrier on the temple, but if he was reading it correctly, it didn't make sense. From all appearances, the people of R4X-642 actually loved their Goa'uld god. Naturally he expected to find words of praise on a temple dedicated to Pele. What surprised him were the tales of how she actually _*defended*_ her people against the "evil ones." There were no words to incite fear and awe of their god as was usually the case when he found texts referring to the "gods." Instead there were tales of how she vanquished those who would "take what was hers."

At first Daniel thought the script was referring to the naquada statue, but upon closer study, it was the _*people*_ she saw as her valuable commodity. He couldn't say for sure, but if the praise was accurate and not borne of fear, Pele cared for her people as they apparently cared for her.

He was still puzzling over this strange finding when Jack knocked on his door.

"Hey. You ready for the debriefing? Hammond wants to put a period to this mission today."

"Yeah," he said, standing. Pushing his glasses up his nose, Daniel grabbed his notes. "I found out some pretty interesting stuff. Kind of a contrast to the Goa'uld's usual MO. In fact. . ."

"You know, Daniel, I'm sure it's fascinating, but if you tell me now, you'll ruin the suspense. I think I'll wait for the debriefing."

They headed for the elevator, walking side by side. "Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"Never let me finish what I was going. . ."

"I don't!"

". . . to say."

"Okay, bad example."

"Jack!"

"What? If you tell me now, you might leave something important out at the meeting, and I'm sure Hammond wants to hear every word."

Jack hadn't fooled him for a second. He didn't know why he even bothered to try to enlighten the man. It was obvious he had a one-track mind. If it didn't involve how it could better the SGC or the military, he didn't want to hear about it.

Entering the conference room, Daniel noticed Frasier, Teal'c and Hammond were already present.

"Are we late?" Daniel asked, taking a seat next to Janet.

"I just arrived myself, Doctor. So, Colonel O'Neill, would you like to start us off?"

Jack launched into his abridged version of the mission, punctuated from time to time with comments from Teal'c and Janet. Daniel had been silent during the meeting, so he wasn't surprised when the general asked,

"Doctor Jackson? Do you have anything you'd like to add?"

"About the mission? No, sir. It happened pretty much the way Jack described it." Hammond was about to close the meeting when Daniel quickly added, "However, I do have some interesting observations about the temple writings."

Glancing around the room he saw Jack roll his eyes; Janet slump a little in her seat and Teal'c remaining the same. Hammond gave a resigned sigh.

"Go ahead."

"I didn't have time to make copies of what I found, so I guess you'll just have to imagine how the text is laid out."

"What? No visual aids?" Jack quipped.

"I think you'll be able to follow along," he said, giving Jack a glacial stare. "Okay, when I first translated the writings on the temple, I thought they were just the usual 'Pele is wonderful' kind of thing. But as I dug deeper, it seems the people genuinely _*cared*_ for her not only as a deity but as someone who'd helped them in the past."

"What makes you say that," Jack asked, wincing as if he was going to regret having voiced the question.

Daniel paged through his notes, pulling out the sheet he wanted. "As best as I can translate, there was a line that said: 'she whom we adore has saved us from the evil ones.' Now, evil ones could mean other people on the planet, but since the UAV didn't seem to find any other civilizations, I'm guessing they were referring to the Goa'uld."

"Maybe she just wanted to keep these people for herself," Janet interjected.

"I thought of that too, but you saw the village yourself, did it look like any type of slave activity had been going on to you?"

"Well, I didn't have much of a look around, but no, it just seemed like an abandoned community," she said.

"Which is unusual when there's a regular Goa'uld around."

"It could be they have been on their own for sometime," Teal'c suggested.

"That's very possible, but I think they had been protected as well. I think Pele might have been a rather benign Goa'uld. Possibly a Tok'ra sympathizer. I also think she was a victim of her own line of defense."

A frown creased Jack's brow. "I don't follow you."

"I think the virus was designed to kill any raiding Goa'uld, and the naquada statue was the bait."

"Okay, back up here. Why would she risk creating something that would be deadly to herself?"

Daniel looked down at the table. "I don't know. Unless she thought she could control it somehow, had an antidote or something."

"Well if she had an antidote, there must be one around!" Jack cried.

"Colonel," Janet spoke gently, "If Pele thought she had an antidote, it obviously didn't work. I can't be one hundred percent sure, but one of the skeletons was female. Odds are it was Pele."

"That doesn't mean a cure can't be found," he insisted.

"You're right. I haven't had much time to work with the sample I brought back, but I have had some success with a combatant for Major Carter's symptoms which may prove instrumental in creating a vaccine. On the downside, her neural pathways are being blocked at an alarming rate. Much faster than I anticipated."

Daniel shot Jack a look, not surprised to see the color draining from the man's face. "Blocked," Daniel said. "So you're saying if she gets an antidote, it's possible this won't have done any permanent damage?"

"The way it looks now, I'd say she's got a pretty good chance for a complete recovery. However, the longer it takes, the greater possibility for irreversible damage."

"Doctor, you said you've had some success with a treatment?" Hammond asked.

"I've tried a drug called L-DOPA, which is often used to treat Parkinson's Disease among others. It helps maintain her dopamine levels, which in turn will help keep her neural pathways clear. This isn't a cure, but it should slow down her degeneration and help her retain some level of functionality."

"Well, that's something positive for a change. Thank you, Doctor," Hammond said, giving her a warm smile. Turning to face Daniel, he asked, "Dr. Jackson, you said you have reason to believe Pele was a Tok'ra? When I contacted Persus to inform him of this virus, I mentioned the name Pele. He didn't seem to recognize it as being Tok'ra."

"I didn't say Tok'ra necessarily. Tok'ra don't take on the personalities of gods, but I do think she was a sympathizer. Not all the Goa'uld are out for conquest and power. That's not to say she didn't capitalize on the fact she had a 'following.' I just think she probably didn't mistreat them in a typical Goa'uld fashion."

"Lesser of two evils?" Jack supplied.

"Something like that."

Jack rubbed his hands over his face, leaning forward on the table. "Let me get this straight. You think Pele developed this virus to kill off the Goa'uld who wanted her piece of the action, right?"

"Well, that's not exactly how I'd put it, but yeah."

"And the infected statue is kind of an eternal 'up yours' to the rest of the Goa'uld?"

"Basically, yes."

"Sweet," he said, leaning back into his chair.

"Doctor Fraiser, it seems you have your work cut-out for you," Hammond said. "I've tried to get clearance for the virologists you've suggested, but my superiors say it's too risky."

"Too risky?" Jack yelled. "Carter could die from this and they're worried about a little breach in security?"

"Colonel, I know how you feel when it comes to a member of your team, but my hands are tied. Believe me, I pulled every string I could."

Jack slumped back into his chair. "I'm sure you did, sir."

"There's one more thing," Janet said, causing the men to look at her. "I need to get back to the lab, and Sam's going to need someone to take her home tonight."

Jack sat up straighter. "She's here? I thought you were going to tell her not to come in today with us being off world."

"I did, but she forgot I called her. I'm actually quite surprised she made it here without either getting lost or getting in an accident. Although, she said she did have one close call."

"I'll take her," Daniel said. "I'm basically finished for the day."

"Or, I could," Jack volunteered. Daniel thought O'Neill was doing a pretty fair job of seeming nonchalant, but he knew him too well. He might have fooled the general with his off-handed suggestion, but Daniel could see he wanted to be the one to take Sam home. He was about to retract his offer when Hammond spoke before he had a chance.

"That would be fine, Dr. Jackson. Jack, you and I need to discuss retrieval of that statue. We need to find a way to secure that naquada before someone else gets their hands on it."

After witnessing Jack's disappointment, Daniel tried to reassure him. "I'll make sure she gets home. Maybe you can take a shift tomorrow?" If Janet didn't come up with a cure soon, Jack would have more than enough time to spend with her.

~29~

Jack sat at his desk, pushing papers around, trying to fool himself into thinking he was working. One look at his out-box proved he hadn't accomplished squat. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with Sam. Well, more wrong. He'd seen Daniel in the commissary when he'd arrived on base, but his assurances Sam had been fine when he'd visited her that morning were far from convincing. Until he saw for himself she was coping, he couldn't relax. The trouble was, he couldn't tell Daniel he didn't trust his judgment, nor could he think of an excuse to give Hammond as to why he needed to check up on her when Daniel had seen her a little over an hour ago.

So, he retreated to his office, in the hopes he'd forget the nagging thoughts in the back of his mind, or the way his stomach hadn't untied itself all day. He was jolted from his reverie as the pencil he'd been fiddling with snapped in two.

"This is ridiculous," he muttered to himself, reaching for the phone. He'd call her, make sure she was all right, and get back to work. He'd tossed the broken pencil into the trash and replaced it with a pen he now tapped incessantly on the desk. "Come on, Carter. Pick up the damn phone." After ten rings he decided she was out. But where would she go? Her car was still in the parking lot topside. If she'd gone somewhere, it would have been on foot. Was there anywhere she could walk to? If he recalled, most of the stores were some distance from her suburban home. He dialed the number of her cell phone, hoping she'd at least thought to keep it with her.

It rang about twelve times before he gave up. Jack rubbed his hands over his face, feeling the knots in his stomach tighten further. Maybe Janet had heard something. It wasn't so unusual for him to ask after Sam in a situation like this, was it? God, he hated this second guessing! He was worried and he felt like he couldn't even express more than casual concern on the off chance someone would view it as extreme. He stood up. He wouldn't be having this internal debate if it were Teal'c or Daniel. It shouldn't make a difference that it was Carter. But it did.

"Screw this," he said, tossing the pen onto the desk with such force it skittered off the surface landing near the door. It was a sign. It was telling him to go. To exit through that door and put his mind to rest, and for the first time that day, he didn't hesitate.

It was starting to sleet as Jack crossed the parking lot to his truck. _*What a miserable day,*_ he thought, realizing it matched his inner turmoil. There was something off, he could just feel it. He never questioned his gut reactions in the field; he wasn't going to ignore them now.

Visibility was low as he made his way to Sam's house, making the journey that much longer and nerve wracking. He was going to feel like such an ass when he found her relaxing on her sofa. Maybe she'd turned off the phone to get some rest. There were a million reasons why she wouldn't pick up the phone and still be fine. She was never going to let him forget this. She'd tease him forever about his overactive imagination and excessive concern. God, he hoped so.

Jack pulled up to the curb, noting there was nothing unusual about the house. Everything seemed intact and as it should be. He felt a portion of himself relax slightly, but until he saw her grinning self-consciously at his worry, he couldn't let the tension go.

Jack jogged to her porch, zipping his jacket against the driving wind and sleet. He shook off the slush that had accumulated in his hair, as he absently cursed the late fall weather. Knocking on her door, he waited interminable minutes for her to answer. He tried again, this time pounding on the door longer and louder.

"Carter! Come on! Open up!" There was still no sounds coming from the interior, and he called again. "Carter, it's me!" He waited a few more seconds before he tried the knob, surprised when it easily turned.

Stepping into her foyer, he spoke tentatively. "Carter? You didn't answer the door so I just. . . ." His eyes quickly scanned the room, fearing he'd find her passed out or something. But the room was empty, and he didn't know if that was better or worse. A quick check of the rest of the house revealed she wasn't there. Where could she be? Where would she have gone?

Jack looked around her kitchen, hoping to find some clue. Maybe she needed to go out and called a cab, but there was no evidence of that either. Picking up her phone, he quickly dialed Daniel's number at the SGC.

"Daniel Jackson."

"Daniel! You have any idea where Carter might go?"

It took him a moment to respond. "Jack? Where are you?"

"I'm at her house, but she's not here," he said, trying to curb his impatience.

"What are you doing there? I thought you were on the base, working on reports or something."

"Look, Daniel, I'll give you my itinerary later. Sam's not here, and her door wasn't locked. Did she mention anything to you this morning about any errands she had to run?"

"Um, no. I would have taken her if she'd said something. Of course, being Sam, she probably thought to ask would be an imposition." Even though Daniel couldn't see him, Jack found himself nodding.

"Grab Teal'c and start looking around the stores and stuff. I'm gonna drive around her neighborhood. And keep your cell with you!"

"We'll find her, Jack. She couldn't have gotten far."

"I know, but the weather is really crap out." Turning around, he noticed her jacket hanging on a peg near the door. "And it looks like she isn't dressed for it. Call me if you get anything." Jack closed his phone and ran out the door. Now he was really getting worried. The temperature had continued to drop since this morning, and who knew how long she'd been out there without adequate protection?

Climbing back into his truck, Jack berated himself for letting her out of his sight. _*I should have insisted Daniel stayed with her until someone else could take over. We shouldn't have left her alone, regardless of how 'fine' she said she was.*_ As he turned a corner, he found himself smiling, speaking aloud. "As if she'd _*let*_ any of us stay with her." She was strong willed. Too strong willed sometimes. Unwilling to let others help her, even when she needed a hand. Apparently she'd learned more from him than just military tactics.

The sleet was thickening more into snow, and his wiper blades where having a hard time keeping his windshield clean. Add to that the deepening twilight and it was nearly impossible to see the road, let alone someone out walking. He took a left and found himself on the backside of the park that was across from her house. He remembered how she kept going on and on about the park when she'd been looking at buying the house. As if it was the real draw. At the time he thought it was strange she wanted to buy a house when she was rarely home, but then again, the same could be said for him. Even if he didn't spend a great deal of time there, it was comforting to know he had a retreat from the base that was less sterile than an apartment. He remembered teasing her about her "need for nature" when she was out in it all the time when they went off world. In the end, she'd bought the house and adopted the park as her back yard.

"Of course! The park!" he yelled. He should have thought to look there first. He could easily imagine her strolling the asphalt paths as she struggled with a physics problem or even something as mundane as what to fix for dinner. Whenever she needed to think, to escape, he could see her going to the park.

"D'oh!" he said, slapping his forehead. How come he hadn't thought of it sooner? Maybe he was getting as absent minded as she was. Slowing down, he scanned the walking paths, but they were deserted, as expected in weather like this. Jack rolled down his window, hoping to see further into the gloom than he had through the water streaked glass. There! Was that someone on a bench? There was a dark shaped huddled on what appeared to be a bench along one of the paths.

"Carter?" he called, but the figure didn't move. Pulling over, Jack threw the truck into park, jumping out of the vehicle almost before it had stopped moving. "Sam!" he called again, but the figure still hadn't moved.

As he closed the distance between himself and the person on the bench, he noticed the hair plastered to the person's head was blonde, and he felt his heart drop to his socks. Not that he wasn't relieved to find her, but the thought she'd been out in the sleet with no coat or hat for God knew how long, made the pain in his stomach intensify.

Jack rushed up to her, continuing to call her name until he crouched down beside her. She didn't look up until he touched her, and then it seemed to take her long seconds to realize who he was.

"Jack?"

"Yeah, Sam, it's me," he said, pushing her dripping, slush encrusted hair back from her face. "What are you doing out here without a coat on?" he asked, helping her to stand.

"I went for a walk. It was sunny out."

"That was a long time ago! How long have you been out here?" he asked, quickly shedding his jacket and wrapping it around her.

"I don't know."

"When the weather got bad, why didn't you go home?"

"I. . .I tried. I can't find it." Tears were mingling with the melting snow on her face and Jack pulled her close. Sam was shivering so hard, her tremors were shaking his body as well. His shirt was already soaked as he began to lead her towards the truck.

"Let's get you home and warmed up," he said still holding her close, sharing what body heat he could offer. He opened the passenger door for her, helping her into the truck.

"I'm wet," she protested as he settled her on the seat.

"Yeah, but it'll dry," he assured her, brushing the wet hair from her face once more. Her lips were blue and her teeth chattering. Lord only knew how long she'd been sitting out there. If she'd zoned out, it could have been for hours.

Jack dug a blanket out from behind the seat, tucking it around her before he climbed into the driver's side. Starting the engine, he turned the heater up full blast, hoping it would begin to warm her. He remembered his cell phone was in the pocket of his jacket which was now buried underneath the blanket he'd just secured around her.

"Sorry, but I need to get my phone," he said, unwrapping her from the rapidly dampening blanket. Jack quickly dialed the number, surprised when Daniel picked it up after one ring.

"Hello?"

"Daniel! I found her!" he heard muffled sounds as Daniel relayed the news to Teal'c.

"Where was she?"

"In the park. On the far side." Jack looked over at Sam, his hand was resting on her shoulder, as if he was making sure she was still there. "She said it was nice out so she went for a walk. God only knows how long she's been out here without a coat." He pulled his hand away from her in order to move the truck from its spot along the curb.

"Are you bringing her into the infirmary?" Daniel asked.

"Maybe later, right now I have to get her warmed up and her house is the closest."

"Do you want Teal'c and I to come over?"

"No, that's okay. I'll stick her in the shower, warm her up and then I'll see. If she seems like she's worse, I'll bring her in. I don't know that there's anything Janet or you guys can do, anyway."

"No, I suppose not," Daniel sighed. "Well, let us know what happens. I could bring a pizza or something," he offered.

"It's okay, Daniel. Thanks, though. I'll call you later." Daniel's phone clicked off as Jack closed his. By the time they'd finished their conversation, he'd arrived back at Sam's house. She was sitting there, shivering, even with the heater blowing on her. Helping her out of the truck, he kept the blanket wrapped around her.

"I'm so cold," she said through clenched teeth and Jack found his arms tightening around her.

"I know. But we'll warm you up in just a minute." He opened the outer door, leading her towards the bathroom. Sitting her on the edge of the tub, he started by removing her socks and shoes. Once he'd taken them off, he rubbed her feet, trying to get her circulation going. Helping her to stand, he pulled off her sodden sweater and removed her jeans. She was standing there, staring off into space totally unaware he was even there.

"Sam!" said, gently shaking her shoulder. "Come on! Snap out of it! You, uh, you need to do the rest."

She looked down at her partially unbuttoned shirt and bare legs as if she wasn't sure what he was talking about.

"You need to get in the shower. I'll get the water ready. You, uh, finish getting undressed."

Jack turned all of his attention to adjusting the temperature of the bath. He was _*not* _going to think about the fact Sam was undressing inches from him. She was cold. She needed to warm up. It was no different than if they were on a mission. _*Stay focused,*_ he told himself, but all he could focus on at the moment was the memory of her standing before him, barely covered with a clinging shirt and underwear. He'd never seen so much of her legs, he realized, and he was thinking maybe that was a good thing. Sure he'd seen her in civvies, admired her figure in jeans, but it wasn't the same thing. God, she had great legs! He swallowed, closing his eyes. He couldn't believe he was checking her out! She was on the verge of hypothermia and he was thinking about what lay beneath her soaked blouse!

"Carter? You ready?" he asked, hoping his voice didn't sound as rough to her as it did to him. "I'm going to turn around so you can get in the shower, okay?"

"Okay." Her voice sounded distant, as if she still wasn't all there. Like she was doing as he instructed simply because she'd been told. Jack heard the sound of the shower curtain being pulled back, and the water now sounding like it was hitting something softer than the far wall.

Putting down the lid of the toilet, Jack took a seat, unsure if he should give her some privacy or stay close in case something else happened. Even as steam filled the room, he felt himself shiver. His clothes were nearly as soaked as hers, only he hadn't been exposed to the cold wind for the length of time she had. Thoughts of joining her in the shower were quickly squashed. He could take one after her. That is if she didn't use up all the hot water.

Jack couldn't help his eyes from straying to outline of her body shadowed against the shower curtain. The blurred image showed her less clearly than her clothing, but somehow this was much more erotic. The thought she was less then a foot from him, naked, was doing strange things to him. The tension in his stomach had changed from one of painful knots to frustrated desire.

Shaking his head, Jack tried to clear the impure thoughts plaguing him. This was Carter! His 2IC! But that was the problem. This was Sam, and that was making this situation dangerous. The sooner he got her warmed up and into some nice bulky unrevealing clothes, the better. How could he even be thinking of her in that way when she wasn't able to think clearly?

"You're sick, O'Neill," he muttered to himself as he struggled to think of the body behind the shower curtain as just another soldier. _*But Kawalsky never looked like that,*_ he mused.

Clearing his throat, he called, "how're ya doing, Carter?"

"Fine, sir. Getting warm."

_*Sir,*_ he thought. _*Good. Keep that up Sam and we'll get through this and laugh about it later.*_

Jack looked up as he heard the water turn off. Was she done already? Her hand started pushing the curtain back and he leapt to his feet. "Carter wait! I'll get you a towel!" He searched her cupboards but couldn't find any. "Uh, where do you keep them?" There was a moment of silence. "Carter?"

"I. . .I'm not sure. Hall closet?"

It seemed like a strange place to keep towels, but just because she was logical at work didn't mean it was extended to her home. It turned out the closet was just outside the bathroom so it wasn't so illogical after all. Grabbing two towels, he re-entered the bathroom, averting his eyes as he passed the bath sheet behind the curtain. It wasn't long before she stepped out from the tub. Jack chanced a glance up, relieved she had the towel wrapped around her slim frame. Her hair was dripping wet, and he wondered why she hadn't ran the terry cloth over her head first.

"You didn't dry your hair," he said, taking a step closer with the other towel.

"I forgot," she said, moving one step closer to him. Before he realized what he was doing, he was running the towel over her hair, absorbing the excess moisture. He felt her hand on his cheek, the touch feather light.

"Thank you," she said, staring into his eyes.

Jack felt his throat tighten and his heart begin to beat faster. "For what?"

"For finding me," she whispered. Her fingers were caressing the hard angle of his jaw and he closed his eyes. He wished she'd stop, but at the same time prayed she wouldn't remove her hand. "I was so cold."

"I know," he said, barely breathing. "How do you feel now?"

"Warm," she smiled.

He didn't know if she was purposely being seductive or if her normal reserve had been stripped away along with her reasoning processes. That was the trouble. She wasn't in her right mind. She'd never act this way with him under normal circumstances. Not that he hadn't wished for it. Dreamed of it even. But in this situation it wasn't right, and he had to stop her before she did something she'd regret. That they'd both regret.

Her hand left his face, trailing down to his soaked shirt. "You're wet. You should get warm too."

He didn't tell her he was already feeling the heat rising in his body. "I'll change when I get home."

"I have something big you can wear," she said, starting to unbutton his shirt.

Jack froze. He knew he should stop her. It would only take a single word, but his voice was suddenly gone. He could push her hands away, but his own refused to move. This was wrong on so many levels, and yet the ripples of pleasure that flowed over him at her touch were clouding his judgment.

Another button loosened and she pushed the fabric further off his chest. He held his breath, suspended between wanting to finish the job himself and waiting for her to continue her slow torture. The last closure was opened and she slid her hands up his cold skin to push the shirt from his shoulders. As she did, she leaned in, kissing him lightly on the chest.

Jack sucked in a breath, still paralyzed, afraid any movement would shatter the moment. How long had he fantasized about a situation like this? How long had he wanted her? He couldn't remember a time when he hadn't thought of her without a bittersweet ache. The rules were still there. She was uninhibited because her mind had blocked her reserve along with complex concepts. She was acting on instinct and their innate desires were mutual. This might be wrong, but nothing had ever felt so right. His gaze locked with hers as her hand moved up to caress his cheek once more.

"I want you, Jack," she spoke, voice hoarse with emotion.

He closed his eyes, trying to forget how her words, her touch were affecting him. "Sam. . ."

She moved her fingers over his lips, stopping any further protests. "This isn't the virus. This is me. I don't want to die not knowing you."

Her words broke the spell that held him. Crushing her to his chest, he held her tight. "You're not going to die! Doc Fraiser is gonna kick this thing in the ass!"

"The other's died," she said, wrapping her arms around him.

"They were Goa'ulds! You're not! That El Nino or Dopa stuff she gave you helped already!"

"It's not a cure. I could die."

Jack pulled back, tipping her head up to make her look him in the eye. "You're not going to die. I won't let you."

Sam managed a crooked smile. "You don't know. That's why I want now. I want tonight. I don't want regrets."

"Sam, you're in shock, you were sitting out in a snowstorm for God's sake! You're not thinking clearly!"

"Then that's my story," she said, running her fingers through his damp hair. "Just hold me, please?"

Jack couldn't refuse her request. He pulled her close once more, but soon Sam's hands were roaming over his bare back, kissing him on the neck. He wasn't going to do this! He'd hold her, keep her safe and warm but that's as far as it was going to go. She moved out of his embrace long enough to let the towel fall to the floor, and his resolve crumbled. God, she was beautiful! And he'd been in love with her for so long. He'd tried everything to get over her, but nothing worked. He'd finally convinced himself he didn't _*want*_ to get over her. Even the ache of feelings he couldn't act on was better than nothing.

Her fingers wound themselves into his hair once more, pulling his head down to hers. Just before she kissed him, she whispered against his lips, "don't you want me?" And thoughts of another alien virus flashed through his mind. He'd pushed her away that time, unsure how he felt about her aggressive behavior. Now he knew. He did want her. More than he thought possible.

"Sam," he said, but it came out almost more of a moan as he moved the fraction of an inch closer to capture her mouth. The relatively light touch of their lips soon turned heated as he pulled her closer, and he was lost. Regulations and common sense be damned.

He was drowning in her kiss and he didn't care. He never wanted to come up for air. Somehow they'd made it to her bedroom, and along the way, the rest of his sodden clothes found their way to the floor.

"You're cold," she spoke against his lips. "I'll have to make you warm." Pulling covers over naked bodies and chilled skin, together they created heat.

~30~

Sam felt like she was drifting down from a cloud, but for the first time in days, she didn't feel confused. Her thoughts were clear, and she couldn't help a contented sigh from escaping. At the sound of her exhale, she felt Jack's arm tighten around her waist as he nuzzled her still damp hair.

"I thought you were sleeping," he mumbled into her neck.

"I was, but now I'm wide awake."

"Second thoughts?" he inquired.

"Yes and no," she admitted honestly. Turning to face him, she ran a hand along his shoulder, up his neck to his lips, tracing them before planting a quick kiss there. "This hasn't been without consequences. But I have no regrets. You?"

"I feel as though I've taken advantage of you," he said, reaching out to toy with a damp lock of her hair. "Like as soon as you weren't thinking straight I made a move on you."

Sam smiled as her fingers moved from his mouth to trace the bridge of his nose and up to his eyebrows. "Seems to me I was the one who was rather insistent."

"Yeah, you weren't taking 'no' for an answer, regardless how feeble my attempts were at resisting you."

Sam's smile gave way to a grin. "If that's all the better you are at saying 'no,' I don't think I'll have anything to worry about the next time I tell you I want you."

"And when might that be?" he asked, moving his hand down her side to come to rest on her hip.

"Oh, right about now, I think." Sam leaned forward kissing him soundly, amazed at how much she wanted to make love with him again. She felt him pushing her back, gently, but enough to make her open her eyes and wonder at his actions.

"Are you feeling all right?" he asked.

"I thought we'd established that," she said, moving the heel of her foot up and down his calf.

"There! That's what I'm talking about!"

Sam gave him a quizzical look. "I don't know what _*you're*_ talking about."

"Your speech," he clarified. "Sam, for the last few days you've been speaking in simple sentences. Now you're using words like 'insistent, consequences and established.' You didn't know the meaning of those words this morning."

"Well, it does seem a little easier to think. Everything's not so cloudy," she said, propping herself up on her elbow.

"Don't you think that's a little weird? Do you think you're getting better?"

"I don't know. Maybe. It kind of feels like when I've been drinking and I'm starting to sober up. Do you think it's possible I could just get over this?" she asked hopefully.

"Kind of seems like wishful thinking to me. Still, how do we know? You got this from touching a statue, for cryin' out loud. How do we know the cure isn't just waiting it out? Janet said it's redefining its parameters, changing from its original design. Maybe it finally ran out of options."

"I doubt it could be as simple as that," she said, lying back down.

"Hey! No negative thinking, remember?" He pulled her into a hug and started raining light kisses all over her face and neck.

Sam tried not to laugh, but the scratchiness of his light beard was tickling her. "Jack! Stop it!"

His hands had moved to her sides, digging his fingers into her ribs making her squirm all the more. "Say it again."

"What?" she gasped, when he temporarily halted his assault.

"My name. I'm so God-damned tired of 'sir.'"

She rolled him over onto his back, pinning his arms to the bed as she leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Jack," she breathed, lightly biting his earlobe. She moved over to his other ear, repeating her actions and speaking his name. Then she moved to his mouth, kissing him briefly before her tongue trailed along his lips and he granted her entrance. "Jack," she moaned as she forgot her sweet torture and relaxed along his body, allowing his arms the freedom to move around her.

He ended the kiss, pulling her head down to his shoulder. "That's more like it," he sighed, snuggling her against his side. Silence hung in the room as they lay together, content to just to hold each other. Finally Jack spoke. "Don't you think we should call Janet? Tell her about the turn of events?"

"What, that we slept together?"

"You know what I mean," he said, slapping her lightly. "About you thinking more clearly."

There was another stretch of silence before she answered. "We probably should. I just don't want this to end. Can't it wait until morning?"

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Close to midnight. I don't think even Janet is keeping these kinds of hours."

"Looks like you win by default, Carter," he said, obviously trying to keep the grin from his face.

"Well, you're not such a bad consolation prize," she admitted, trying to suppress a yawn.

"Hey, I thought you said you weren't tired!"

"You going to show me something I need to stay awake for?" she asked, arching an eye brow.

"I think I have a little something you'll enjoy learning, Doctor."

This time Sam couldn't help giggling. This was a side to Jack she'd never imagined she'd have the chance to see. And one she was going to miss terribly when it was gone with the reality of morning.

~31~

Jack stood back, watching Janet conducting her exam on Sam. She flashed a light in her eyes as she not-so-gently admonished her.

"You should have called me," she said, her voice terse.

"It was late. I want you to sleep." Sam's speech had returned to simple sentences, much to Jack's dismay. He really thought she might have been getting over the effects of the virus, but with the dawn, Sam's reasoning seemed clouded once more.

Looking over her shoulder, Janet skewered him with her gaze. "Tell me again what happened." Jack relayed how he'd found her in the park, conveniently leaving out the sleeping arrangements.

"And you say she was more coherent last night?"

"I was! I think better!" Sam protested. Each time Sam spoke it drove a knife into Jack's heart. Especially when she'd been so much better just a few hours ago. He was about to answer when Daniel stepped into the infirmary.

"Hey, guys. What's up?"

"Apparently Sam had a bit of a breakthrough last night," Janet said, sounding skeptical.

"Breakthrough?"

"According to Colonel O'Neill, Sam was acting almost normal. Speaking in regular sentences, using words that suggested a higher brain function."

Jack shuffled his feet, looking away at Janet's description of almost normal. The way she'd been acting the night before was most definitely not her norm! The worst of it was, Sam was staring at him, a secret smile gracing her lips. Apparently she didn't possess the guile to pretend things hadn't changed between them. There was a openness to her now that seemed almost child-like, and in an odd sort of way, he found it refreshing. Sam had always schooled her features so well, he was never quite sure what she was feeling. Looking into her eyes now, he had no doubt what she was thinking, and if the others looked, they'd see it as well.

Janet was turning back towards Sam when a nurse handed her a sheet of paper. "The results of Major Carter's latest blood work," she informed Fraiser. Janet's eyes scanned the numbers on the sheet and looked up, pinning Jack with a hard stare.

"What?" he asked, suddenly feeling very exposed.

"Daniel? Would you mind taking Sam for some coffee? I need to talk with the colonel."

"Um, sure. Is something wrong?"

"I'll let you know."

Jack and Daniel exchanged puzzled glances as Jackson escorted Sam out of the infirmary.

"Colonel, would you join me in my office?" Jack was starting to feel like a kid called before the school principal, wondering what he'd done.

Nodding at the sheet of paper she still held, Jack asked, "You find something?"

"You might say that," Janet said, leaning against her desk. Her voice was flinty as she stared him in the eye.

"What?" her attitude was making him feel more than a little self-conscious.

"Colonel, Sam's endorphin levels are significantly higher today than they were yesterday."

"Yeah, so?"

"So it usually takes some form or physical activity or drug use for endorphins to be released into the blood stream, and I highly doubt you took Sam jogging yesterday."

He didn't need to ask Janet what she was getting at. He knew. And she knew. "It's not what you're thinking!" Jack protested.

Janet's arms came to rest across her chest. "Oh? And what is it you think I'm thinking?"

Squirming under the doctor's intense stare, Jack felt an uncharacteristic flush cover his face. "You think I took advantage of her."

"Didn't you?"

"No! If anything, Sam's the one who took advantage of me!"

Janet's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Somehow I doubt that. I think you were perfectly capable of defending yourself against a borderline hypothermic, mentally incapacitated woman."

"Well, when you put it like that. . . ."

"Colonel, what were you thinking? Or not thinking as the case may be?" Janet was still staring at him, angry and defensive over her friend.

Jack's gaze slid to the floor. He really didn't have an excuse other than all the months of desire, and wanting her had come to a head last night. He'd felt so helpless beyond trying to warm her up. He couldn't do anything for Sam other than being there for her, and for so long, he'd wanted her. Denied the simplest touch, he knew he'd gone overboard last night in expressing his affection and concern for her.

"Janet," he said, eyes still lowered, "I think you know how I feel about Sam. You more than anyone. You were there." He knew he didn't have to remind her of the za'tarc test. Janet's posture softened a bit and her arms uncrossed themselves.

"Yes, Colonel, I do know how you feel. And how Sam feels. Although she doesn't talk much about it. I guess that's why I have a little trouble believing she's the one who initiated things."

Jack looked up at that. "Doc, do you really think I'd take advantage of her like that? Wait until she wasn't thinking straight then make a move on her?"

Janet sighed. "No, I don't. But what do you expect me to think when nothing's happened between you in the past?" There was a silence and she added, "Nothing _*has*_ happened in the past, right?"

"No! Of course not!" Jack burst out. He looked away again and shrugged. "Neither one of us planned it. It just happened. She was scared and cold, I was relieved she was gonna be okay. . .it just sorta moved on from there." Suddenly Jack looked up. "You're not gonna tell Hammond, are you?"

Janet had busied herself with straightening her already neat desk. "Well, sir, technically I should. . . ."

"Forget the technicalities! You know this won't happen again!"

"Do I? Sir, how can I expect you to go back, pretend as if nothing ever happened? How can you expect yourself or Sam to?"

"We have to," he swallowed, feeling emotion welling up in his throat. "Or else one of us has to give up SG-1 and I don't think either of us is prepared for that."

Janet's eyes met his with sympathy. "I wish there was something I could do."

"There is," he said, taking her by the shoulders and turning her to face him. "Don't mention this to Hammond. He doesn't need to know." Janet was hesitating and Jack pressed his advantage. "We'll be good. I promise."

Janet tried to suppress a grin at his words and the expression he wore. "I guess I don't have a lot of choice but to trust you," she said. "On the upside, I think you actually might have helped her."

"Really?"

"Endorphins are a natural pain blocker, and I think perhaps in this case the effects of the virus was blocked as well. I think maybe that's why she seemed more coherent last night."

"So, can't you use that? Give her something to stimulate those endor thingies?"

"I can," Janet said, "but not for an extended period of time. It's one of the factors that contribute to drug addiction. Most 'feel good' drugs release endorphins, which is why people take them. But over time, not only do people build up a tolerance, the effects don't last as long. I can't keep Sam permanently on anything that would raise her endorphins to a necessary level. And for the sake of your careers, I don't recommend your 'home cure' either."

Jack had the good grace to look embarrassed at her last statement before he tried again. "But what about combining it with that dope stuff?"

"The L-DOPA? Again, it will help, but as far as a cure goes. . . I'm sorry. Any drug therapy at this point is just combating the symptoms. Which I'll keep trying as long as they're effective"

"So, this really doesn't help you at all," Jack said, feeling his hope flounder.

"It gives me a few other options to try, but frankly, I'm a little skeptical. I'm sorry this got your hopes up," she said reaching out to touch his arm

Jack nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Well, I'll leave you to it. Any reason Carter has to stick around the base?"

"No. But I'm not sure you're the one who should take her home."

"Come on, Doc! It's not like we're a pair of mink in heat!"

Janet tried unsuccessfully to hide her smile. "I just meant it might be easier on you since you're so close to the situation."

"Trust me. It would be worse." Jack knew he couldn't sit by and let someone else watch out for her. He had to be there.

"Okay," she sighed, rubbing her eyebrows. "Just _*try*_ to make her take it easy?"

Jack nodded, knowing it was no simple request.

"I'm serious, Colonel. Sam's in a very fragile state right now. She needs to keep calm. And that means no excitement of _*any*_ kind," she said pointedly.

"Gotcha," he said, heading for the door. "Guess I better go rescue her from Daniel, then. We both know how potentially exciting he can be."

~32~

Daniel settled Sam on a stool in his lab, handing her a cup of coffee. "Now, isn't this better than the commissary?" he said, not really expecting an answer. It was weird having Sam so quiet. Not that she was normally a chatterbox, but she usually had a smile or a comment for him and her lack of response was a bit unnerving.

"Where's Jack?" she asked, surprising him by not referring to him as "the Colonel."

"Um, he's with Janet, Doctor Fraiser. Don't you remember?"

The glazed look left her eyes momentarily as she turned towards him, blinking slowly. "Yes. I remember. He's in the doctor place. Is he sick?"

Daniel couldn't help smiling. "Well, that's a matter of opinion." When he didn't get a response from her, he cleared his throat, answering her question honestly. "No. He was there to talk about you."

Sam was playing with the handle of her coffee cup, swinging her foot, almost nervously. "I like Jack."

"Well, he likes you too, Sam."

"I wish he was here."

"He will be soon," he said, still amazed when she came out with such telling words. He knew there was something deeper between Sam and Jack than just the bond they shared being military, but neither had ever voiced it to him. To hear her speak so openly about her feelings made Daniel a bit uncomfortable. He knew she would never be confiding in him this way if her mind wasn't impaired. It almost made him feel like a voyeur. Seeing a part of her she'd normally never expose.

"Tell you what," he said, hoping to distract her. "Why don't we have another look at that video we shot on 642? Maybe we'll see something that will help explain what happened to the people." Daniel didn't wait for her answer. Instead he popped the tape into the VCR, rewinding it back, almost to the beginning. He stopped the tape and heard his voice, off-camera.

"So, Major Doctor Carter, what can you tell us about this temple?" Daniel watched the tape as Sam play-acted along with him on the video, smiling at her antics at being interviewed. He turned around to comment to Sam, and saw tears welling up in her eyes.

He paused the tape and crossed over to her. "Sam? What's wrong?"

Some of the tears had managed to escape, and were slowly coursing down her cheeks. "That was me. I was smart."

Daniel felt his heart clench at her words, pulling her into a hug. "That's still you, Sam. It's just blocked right now. Janet's working on a way to stop this."

"I'll die like this."

"Sam, you're not going to die."

She struggled against him, pushing him away. "You don't know! Jack doesn't know! I want to be me!" Sam hopped off the stool, running to her frozen image on the television. "I want to be her!" she cried, banging on the screen so hard Daniel thought it might break.

"Sam!" he called sharply as he ran to her side, pulling her hand away from the TV. "You just have to be patient! I know it seems like a long time since you've gotten sick, but you have to wait just a little longer." He wrapped his arms around her again and Sam relaxed into his embrace, quietly crying. It was so disconcerting seeing her like this. Sam was a rock; his and everyone else's on SG-1. She was always the optimist. To see her so distraught tore at his heart and he held her closer.

"Shhhh. It's going to be okay," he said, rubbing comforting circles on her back. He looked up when he heard Jack's concerned voice coming from the doorway.

"Daniel? What's wrong?"

Suddenly releasing Sam, Daniel felt a guilty flush creeping up his neck. "Ah, she was a little upset, so I. . . ."

"Jack!" she called, making her way to where he stood just inside the lab. She engulfed him an awkward hug, face wreathed in smiles. "I missed you!"

Daniel coughed slightly and turned away, unwilling to be witness to the affection between the two of them. Denial was a weak excuse at best, but if anyone ever asked him if he'd seen something going on between Sam and Jack, he could honestly answer "no."

"So, what's up?" he heard Jack ask, drawing his attention back to the man in his doorway. His tone was light, but he knew Jack was waiting for an explanation as to why he'd had Sam in his arms. Chancing a glance in his friends direction, Daniel noted Sam was standing a slight distance from Jack, and he found himself relaxing a bit.

"We, ah, were watching the video I shot on 642." The image frozen on the screen was one of Sam laughing, looking straight into the camera. The smile was totally different than the one she'd displayed moments ago. On the television screen, her eyes showed her keen intelligence and humor. Now her eyes were flat and vacant. Daniel hadn't realized how different Sam had really become until he compared her to the woman on the TV. "She got a little upset."

Jack nodded in understanding. "Can't say I blame her," he said staring at Sam whose gaze was locked on the television once more.

"I want her back," she said, looking at neither of them, and Daniel thought if shear will would accomplish what medicine couldn't, Sam would be the one to pull it off.

"Fraiser's still working on that," Jack said, causing Daniel to give him a questioning look. "She also said we have to keep her calm. How upset was she?" Jack asked, glancing over at Sam again.

Daniel looked a bit sheepish, "she was crying, if that tells you anything."

"Right. Well, we just have to make sure we don't get her riled up. I'm not exactly sure why, but Doc made a pretty big deal about it."

"Something happen?" he asked. He noticed Jack actually seemed embarrassed.

"Let's just say after last night Doc's working harder on a conventional cure."

If it was possible, Daniel was even more confused. He was about to ask Jack what he was talking about when he saw Sam crumple to the floor.

"Sam?" he called, rushing to her side along with Jack.

"She's not breathing," Jack said, scooping her up off the floor. "Call Fraiser. Tell her to get ready, I'm bringing her in."

"Shouldn't we call for a medical team?"

"It's only one level up, and I can get there before they'd make it here." Jack was running out of the room before Daniel could protest. Snapped out of his shock, Daniel reached for the phone, dialing the emergency number.

~33~

Jack was pacing outside of the infirmary, trying to reassure Daniel for the umpteenth time he wasn't the one responsible for Sam's collapse. If anyone was to blame, it was him. If he'd kept his wits about himself last night and not succumbed to his desires, this might not have happened. Janet practically told him he was at fault for accelerating the course of the virus. Oh, not in so many words, but he could read between the lines. She thought the stress of having sex was what brought this on. So how could Daniel possibly think it was his fault?

"I really didn't think seeing the tape would upset her," Daniel was mumbling more to himself than to Jack. Teal'c had joined them in their vigil and questioned his statement.

"What tape disturbed MajorCarter?"

"I was just killing some time while Jack was talking to Janet, so I thought I'd show her the tape from 642. I thought she'd get a kick out of seeing us joking around, but instead it seemed to push her over the edge."

"Oh for cryin' out loud, Daniel! It's not your fault! It could have been anything!" Teal'c and Daniel both looked up at Jack's outcry. Somewhat calmer, he added, "Carter was pretty worked up last night after having been lost. If anything, that's what set her off."

Daniel and Teal'c exchanged glances before Daniel asked, "did something happen last night?"

Stuffing his hands in his pockets and turning his back to them, Jack mumbled something about being lost had really shaken her up.

"You seemed most distraught as well, O'Neill," Teal'c observed.

Jack ran a hand through his hair before he turned back to his friends, embarrassed grin on his face. "Yeah, about that. Sorry if I seemed a little edgy."

"Edgy?" Daniel said, his eyebrows fully raised above the rims of his glasses.

"Okay, so I was worried! At the time I had no idea where she might have been."

"Well, you found her, that's what matters," Daniel said, standing to join Jack in his pacing.

"And we got her to Fraiser in time. _*That's*_ what matters," Jack said, staring Daniel in the eyes. "This could have happened when she was with any one of us."

Daniel nodded, quickly dropping his gaze from Jack's.

"I do not understand why MajorCarter is now having difficulty in breathing. Did not DoctorFrasier state this would not occur?" Teal'c asked his teammates.

"I don't know why," Jack shrugged, his hands finding their way back into his pockets. "From what Doc told me, she's pretty surprised by this as well." Jack's voice dropped a notch as he scuffed a boot absentmindedly along the floor. "She said it could be the beginning of the end."

Daniel looked up at his last statement. "Is she really that bad off? I mean, none of the drugs are working?"

"From what she's told me, they were just buying her a little extra time, and even that time's running out."

Jack tried to keep the tremor from his voice, but he wasn't sure if he succeeded. Teal'c knew how he felt about Sam, and Daniel wasn't stupid. He might not have told him in so many words he loved her, but Jack was sure he knew. Daniel just had the tact not to bring it up. And he hoped he wouldn't bring it up now. Jack's control of his emotions were tenuous at best. If either one of them tried to bolster him, he knew he'd lose it and it wouldn't be a pretty sight.

He needed to do something. Hit something. He couldn't remain idle for a moment longer. Teal'c seemed to sense how he was feeling and offered him a way out.

"O'Neill, it has been some time since we have sparred. Perhaps some exercise would do you good."

Jack smiled at the invitation. Not that long ago Teal'c would have had to couch his proposal as a personal request, making Jack feel he was the one doing the Jaffa a favor. In an odd way, it was comforting to know Teal'c didn't need a ploy to try to take his mind off what was going on.

"Go on, Jack," Daniel said. "I promise I'll let you know the minute I hear anything."

He had to admit a little physical exertion was what he needed to calm down. There was nothing worse than an enemy you couldn't see. An adversary you couldn't touch. The only other time he'd felt this helpless was at the hospital with Charlie. The situation was so similar is made him shiver. Maybe the causes were different, but he was left waiting for the life to flow out of Sam as surely as it had left Charlie. He couldn't lose her. Couldn't face the thought of losing another person who'd made life worth living. Sam had saved him the last time. Who would save him now?

~34~

Janet stood at Sam's bed with a clipboard recording diagnostic readings. Normally this was the job of one of her nurses, but she wanted to do the task herself. She wanted to see personally what was happening with her friend.

She honestly hadn't anticipated this turn of events. All the initial tests she'd run on Sam and the evidence she had, indicated the autonomic portion of her brain wouldn't be affected. But then when had this virus followed a normal pattern?

At the moment, it was just her breathing that was impaired, but soon other functions could begin to break down and Janet just didn't have a clue what to do next. If Sam wasn't going to make it because of her ineptitude as a physician, she wished she would have died as quickly as the Goa'uld. It might have been incredibly painful, but could it be any more painful than knowing she was slipping away a little more each day?

What of her friends and teammates? Especially the colonel. Janet remembered what he'd been like when she'd first met him. Cold, hard, reserved, but already softening in the presence of his 2IC. At first she'd recognized them as the friends they were, but there was always something more. Jack O'Neill didn't let anyone in, but he'd cracked the door open for Sam. Over the years the door opened further and he'd changed. Janet knew for a fact if Sam didn't make it there would be nothing left of O'Neill. He'd be the empty shell of a man she'd first met, and there would be no second chances at salvation.

"Sam," she whispered, choking back her tears, "I'm not giving up. I've got one thing I can try yet, so don't you be giving up on me. Or Jack." Janet knew asking Sam to fight for herself wouldn't be as effective as asking her to hang on for Jack's sake. "You honestly aren't going to leave me here with him to pick up the pieces, are you?" Somehow Janet managed a smile as she wiped at the moisture on her face. "I'm going to the lab and I'm not coming back until I have something."

Hours later, Janet was still hunched over a microscope, no closer to an answer. An increased amount of endorphins in combination with the L-DOPA was having an effect on the virus, just not enough to make a difference. She had to admit she wouldn't have thought of the combination if it hadn't been for Sam's blood test and the colonel's confession. Not that she could prescribe sex as a treatment. Although, she didn't see O'Neill having any trouble with the prescription! It might even get them around the regulations if she had to recommend to Hammond that SG-1's officers needed sex on a regular basis for medicinal purposes!

She was chuckling to herself, rubbing her eyes. "God, I'm getting punchy," Janet spoke aloud.

"Maybe you should take a break." Janet looked up and saw Daniel leaning in her doorway, two mugs in his hand.

"Thanks," she said, motioning him into the room and the chair next to her. "I don't know that I can drink any more coffee, though."

"Well, this is herbal tea," he said handing her the mug. "Maybe if you relaxed just a bit it would help."

Janet took a sip of the fragrant tea. "Kind of hard to do that when my friend-our friend-is lying in the infirmary, slipping away by the hour."

Looking down into his mug Daniel agreed. "I know. I was just in there. So's Jack. I'm surprised he could even walk in there."

"Why's that?"

"Well, you know Jack. If he can't do anything, he has to hit something." Daniel was smiling so Janet knew he hadn't taken his aggression out on another person. "He and Teal'c had been in the gym forever. I think he was there until he couldn't lift his arms any longer. I can't remember the last time I saw him so wiped out."

"There's worse ways he could deal with it," Janet said, knowing Daniel, too was aware of what would happen to Jack of Sam died. Silence uncomfortably lingered in the room until Janet switched the subject.

"This is good," she said, indicating the cup in her hands. "What's in it?"

"I'm not sure, it's some pre-made mixture, but it always helps me think better. Amazing what herbs can do, huh?

"Yeah, plants do possess some amazing qualities," she agreed. The statement hung in the air for a moment before Janet's eyes widened. "Oh, my God!"

"What?"

"Plants! Herbs! Natural cures! I hadn't even considered that avenue!"

"Janet, what are you talking about?"

"Didn't you say something about Pele thinking she was immune to the virus?"

"It was just speculation on why she would have developed a disease that would have been deadly to herself as well as other Goa'uld."

"What if there's something on that planet that's a natural antiviral agent?" she asked, growing excited as her mind started going over what it could possibly be.

"Didn't you investigated that possibility?"

"I thought she'd have developed some kind of chemical antidote, but what if it was something as simple and natural as herbal tea?" she said, holding up her mug for emphasis.

A smile spread across Daniel's face. "Could it be that easy? That it was staring us in the face all this time?"

"There's only one way to find out," Janet said, turning to her computer monitor. "Sam brought back plant samples from your first mission, didn't she?"

"Yeah, I don't know if she analyzed them or gave them to one of the botanists. If they've been tested, the results should be in the records," he said, moving his chair closer to hers.

The first list came up with over twenty plant samples. "You guys were busy," Janet said as she started by clicking on the first specimen.

"Well, as busy as we could be with Jack hounding us to hurry up," Daniel said. At the bottom of the screen were photos to match the numerical designations of the plants listed at the top. Daniel pointed to one broadleaf plant. "Try that one. This was growing all over the place."

Janet clicked on the sample, scanning the break down of chemical components in the plant. "This one contains phenols," she said more to herself than Daniel. "Cichoric and caftaric acids."

"Um, so?"

"They're the same phenols as in echinacea."

"Okay, so?"

Janet looked up from the screen realizing she was probably confusing Daniel more than explaining herself.

"Echinacea is an herbal immune stimulant. It's also used as an antibacterial and antiviral treatment. It's thought that the phenol acids are the active ingredient."

"So, Pele would have used this plant to keep from catching her own virus," Daniel said.

"That's my guess."

"But it didn't work," Daniel pointed out.

"It may have for a time. We don't know how long it was from the time she developed the virus until she eventually died from it. The trouble with these phenols is that extended use causes them to become ineffective. Maybe she went through a slow change like Sam did. Once she had it, she probably tried to cure herself."

"Obviously it didn't work," Daniel stated again. "Does that mean Sam won't make it either?"

"Actually, I think we might have found the missing piece. Daniel, if you'll excuse me, I have some experiments to run."

~35~

Time was running out. Janet might as well have had a countdown ticking away the amount of time Sam had left. She'd had a call from the infirmary, informing her Sam was not only totally dependent on the respirator, but the EEG wasn't registering much brain function. How had she deteriorated so quickly? Had her coherent behavior last night merely been a last gasp?

Janet tapped her fingers in agitation against the desk, as she waited for the computer to spit out the results of the latest test. This was it. Do or die. She shivered at how close to the truth those words were.

She must have dozed off, as the next thing she heard was the beeping emanating from the computer, alerting her the test had been completed. Rubbing her eyes, Janet quickly scanned the results. No growth. The combination of all her options seemed to finally make a difference. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. There was a chance. At least there was a chance. If she wasn't already too late.

Standing next to Sam's bed, Janet flicked the bubbles from the syringe she was preparing to inject into her IV line. Her eyes met each of the members of SG-1 and their sober faces revealed they understood this was it. Their one shot at reversing what the virus had done to Sam. Even if it did work, Janet could see they were as worried as she that they were simply too late. That the answer had revealed itself only when Sam was too far gone.

"That's it," Janet said, dropping the needle into a biohazard container. "Now we wait."

"How long?" Jack asked, clearly looking as if he wasn't going to budge from his spot next to Sam.

"Several hours at the least. I wish I could say this is going to be an instant cure, but it's going to take time before we can tell if it's helping or not."

"Waiting sucks," Jack said.

Janet found herself smiling. "Yeah, it does." Serious once more, she added. "Colonel, nothing is going to be gained by you sitting here. It's up to the vaccine now. I want you to. . ."

"Doc, don't ask me to leave."

"Sir, I know you want to be here for her, but there's nothing you can do. That any of you can do. Getting some rest yourself is the best way to help her now."

"She's right, Jack," Daniel said. "Look, if you can't sleep, at least take a break. You've been here for hours."

"I believe MajorCarter would want you to rest, O'Neill."

"I guess I could do with some coffee," Jack conceded.

"No coffee. No caffeine. Rest. Sleep. Lying in a prone position, preferably under a blanket. Am I making myself clear, Colonel?"

"Okay, but. . ."

"No buts! All of you! Out of here! And just so you know, I'm not above bed checks!" Janet was literally pushing the men from the medical bay. As she physically removed them, Janet found herself with new respect for General Hammond. How on Earth did he put up with this kind of tenacity?

~36~

It was three a.m. and Jack was sneaking around the halls, well, he'd only been sneaking since he'd reached level 21. Janet had kicked him out of the infirmary hours before, threatening him with a _*very*_ through physical exam if he didn't go to his quarters and at least try to rest. He could barely lay down, much less sleep worrying about Sam. He knew he was being melodramatic, but he couldn't help it. Last night had changed everything and he wasn't about to let it end there, even if he had to wait until he retired to be with her. The idea was sounding better all the time.

Had it only been last night? So much had happened in the span of twenty-four hours. Last night she'd been laughing, almost her old self and now she was lying in the infirmary, deathly pale, on a respirator, moments from death.

Peeking his head into the infirmary, Jack made a quick sweep of the area, alert to Janet or any of her watchdogs. He knew if any of them caught him, he'd be reported faster than he could say Doc Fraiser. He'd made it half-way across the room when he surprised a young lieutenant. He didn't recognize her, and hopefully, she didn't him, either. They stared at each other with questioning eyes for a long moment before Jack spoke.

"I'm just here to check up on Major Carter," he said, standing up straighter as if he had every right in the world to be in the medical facility at three in the morning.

"Sir?"

"Just got back from a mission," he lied. "You know how it is with 'gate lag and all."

"Yes, sir," the woman answered, clearly unaware what the colonel was talking about.

"So, how's she doing?" he asked.

"As well as can be expected. Doctor Fraiser is sleeping the next bed over, if you like I can wake her and. . ."

"No! No, that won't be necessary Lieutenant. . .Waltham," Jack said, quickly reading her name tag, and giving her a winning smile. "I'm sure she needs her rest. I'll just go see how Carter's doing myself, okay?"

"Well, sir, she's really not supposed to have visitors."

"I won't wake her, I promise." Jack poured all of his considerable charm into one more smile for the lieutenant, who was now starting to blush.

"I guess that would be okay," she said, still apprehensive about letting Jack near Sam.

"I won't forget this," Jack said, causing the woman to color even further as she moved on to her next patient. Blowing out a breath, he quietly moved a chair next to Sam's bed, on the opposite side of where Fraiser was sleeping. The chair was low enough that she'd really have to be looking to spot him.

Jack picked up Sam's hand, threading his fingers through hers. It was two weeks ago he'd been in the same position when she'd first started feeling the effects of the virus. He'd sat at her bedside then, hand in hers hoping to offer some comfort. However, this time, it was she who was offering the comfort. As long as her hand was warm in his, there was hope.

She still looked pale-almost translucent, but her hand was surprisingly warm. His thumb automatically began rubbing against the back of her hand and her lips twitched into a ghost of a smile. Did she realize he was there?

It had been about twelve hours since Janet had given her a dose of her new "kick ass" vaccine. Of course that's not what she called it, but the way she described it, it was good for whatever ailed you. He'd lost track of how she'd come up with the formula after about the first sentence. Suffice it to say, she was hopeful it was the answer. But it had been hours and there was still no sign Sam was getting better.

Janet must have felt it was going to take some time otherwise she wouldn't have consented to sleep. Although, with the hours she'd been keeping, she was no doubt exhausted and had fallen asleep despite her resolve to stay awake and by Sam's side.

He had to admit, he too was starting to feel his eyelids droop. Where before he couldn't stop pacing, just being near Sam had calmed him. Relaxed him enough that he could consider sleeping. Maybe if he just rested his head against the side of her bed for a minute. . . .

Jack jerked awake when he heard Sam coughing, fighting with the tube down her throat. "Doc!" He called, rousing Janet from her deep sleep. Seconds later Janet was at Sam's bedside, alert and taking control of the situation.

"Sam! Easy! You're on a respirator! Relax, and when I tell you, cough and we'll get that tube out of you."

Sam followed Janet's orders continuing to cough once the tube was removed. The doctor held a cup of water, angling the straw for Sam to take a sip.

"Take it easy," she warned. "Just a little bit."

Sam swallowed, took a deep breath and whispered, "thank you." Her voice was hoarse, but she seemed to be breathing fine on her own. Jack felt his own breath release, and a hopeful smile come to his face. That was until he looked at Janet.

"Colonel, I thought I left _*explicit*_ instructions that you were to get some rest!"

"And I listened to you. I just didn't sleep where you told me to."

"Lieutenant Waltham!" Janet barked.

"Hey, don't blame her! I blackmailed her to let me stay! Doc, look, all I did was sit with her. Is that such a crime?"

Janet sighed. "No, I suppose not. It probably was a good thing you were here when Sam woke up," she conceded.

Sam was looking from Jack to Janet, her eyes betraying her confusion. Letting the argument drop, Janet turned her attention to her patient.

"How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I think. My throat's sore."

Janet smiled. "That's to be expected, but it will go away in a little bit. Other than that how do you feel?"

"Okay," she stated again. "Janet." she said looking at her. Sam turned and looked him in the eyes. "Jack," she said instantly. Then, "I'm sorry. Colonel. Sir."

"Very good!" Janet crowed, pleased with her recall. Jack wished she could have forgotten the colonel part for a little longer, but it was still encouraging to see she was beginning to remember. Jack's eyes were still focused on Sam's when he asked,

"Is she going to need another dose of your vaccine?"

"I'm not sure. She may require some kind of secondary shot or a booster, but we won't know that for some time yet. At least this has worked to some degree," Janet said, her face radiating her relief and joy. "You really scared us for a while there," she said, obviously fighting to stay in control of her emotions.

"It was scary for me, too," Sam admitted, fighting to contain her own tears.

"Well, you're not out of the woods yet," Janet said, becoming professional once more. I recommend sleep. And lots of it. For both of you."

"Doc, come on! You're not going to send me to my quarters again!"

Janet looked between the two of them, a bemused look on her face. "No, but only because I know you won't stay there. Okay! Fine! Sleep in that damn chair, but don't come complaining to me when your back's bothering you!"

Jack's hand discreetly found Sam's again, and he was pleased she didn't try to pull away from him. If she remembered his rank, surely she remembered this bit of familiarity was illicit. Perhaps that's what made it so sweet.

~37~

Sam woke as the lighting in the infirmary brightened to day mode. It was really the only way to tell what time it was when you were twenty some levels beneath a mountain. She tried to move, but felt her hand held tightly, pinned to her side and the bed by something heavy. She tried to move to get a better view of what held her hand, but felt another weight about her waist. She managed to move her head slightly and saw the weight on her hand was Jack's head lying on their clasped hands, and the pressure on her stomach was from an arm he had slung over her. She smiled at the sight for a moment before she realized she was in the central part of the infirmary, and anyone walking by could see them practically sleeping together. She knew she had to wake him up, and couldn't resist moving her free hand through his short hair before she spoke.

"Colonel," she whispered. Then louder, "Sir." He still hadn't stirred so she trailed her hand over his head once more. "Jack." That seemed to catch his attention and he sat up, freeing her hand but he still had his arm around her waist. His eyes had the unfocused look of sleep and she couldn't help smiling at his disorientation. It was such an endearing sight, she wished she could tell him to lay back down and sleep, but if he didn't release her soon, someone was bound to see them.

"Sir? Your arm?"

Jack looked at where his appendage lay and slowly he removed it, allowing his hand to trail over her stomach. "How are you feeling?" he asked, finally lifting his hand from her.

"Better, I think. It's still a little fuzzy in here, but better than it was. I stopped breathing, didn't I?"

"Yeah. You almost died. You remember any of that?"

Sam shook her head slightly. "Just that I was mad about something and then I remember gasping for breath. After that, nothing." The pained look in Jack's eyes told her all she needed to know-she'd come close to dying, but somehow she'd cheated death again. Or rather Janet must have. "Janet?" she asked.

"Still sleeping, I suppose. At least I hope so. She's exhausted."

"She must have found an antidote," Sam observed.

"Yeah, but don't ask me how she did it. She started to tell me and I think my eyes were as glazed as yours," he joked.

Sam gave him a watery smile. "You have no idea how terrifying this is. I just hope this works. There's so much I don't remember."

"You will, Sam. Give it time."

_*Sam*_ she thought. _*That's probably the last time I'll hear him call me by name. After this it's going to be 'Carter' again. No that that's so bad. I like the way he says it. He puts more affection into my last name than most guys have ever put into my proper name.*_

"Hey, Carter, you okay? Ya kinda zoned out there again."

She tried to suppress her grin, but wasn't successful. "No, sir. Just thinking." She could tell Jack was going to make some crack when she heard General Hammond's voice.

"Any word on Major Carter?"

"She has a lot of words, sir," Jack called out standing and severing the last of their physical contact.

"Colonel, you're here early," Hammond said, crossing the room to stand at the foot of Sam's bed.

"Or late, depending on your perspective," Janet added, but didn't elaborate further.

"How are you feeling, Major?"

"Better, sir. Thank you."

Hammond turned to Janet. "Quite the miracle you pulled off, Doctor. You should be damn proud," he said, positively beaming.

"Thank you, sir, but I really can't take all the credit. Doctor Jackson and Sam herself made considerable contributions as well."

"Where are Daniel and Teal'c, anyway?" Jack asked.

"I just called them. I figured you'd all want an explanation, and I thought I'd tell you all at once. And I thought the Colonel could use a refresher course," Janet said, giving Jack a smug smile.

It wasn't long before Daniel entered the room, with Teal'c on his heels.

"Sam!" he called, rushing up to give her a gentle hug. "Jeez, you look so much better than the last time I saw you!"

Before she could answer, Teal'c added, "Indeed. You were most pale last evening. I'm am glad to see you are making the journey to wellness."

"That's 'road to recovery,'" Jack mumbled to him under his breath.

"As I said."

Sam and Daniel exchanged glances, and tried to keep straight faces. Hammond too seemed to be struggling with his mirth as he suddenly turned serious.

"Doctor, perhaps you could tell us how you effected this miracle."

"Well, I don't know that 'miracle' is the right term," she said modestly.

"Seems pretty miraculous to me," Jack said, gracing Janet with a huge grin.

Janet cleared her throat. "Yes. Well, like I said earlier, much of the credit goes to Sam and Daniel. And Colonel O'Neill as well if the truth be told." Jack coughed, and looked suitably embarrassed by Janet's statement. She defused the moment by adding, "if Daniel hadn't brought me some tea yesterday, I doubt we'd be standing here celebrating.

"Do tell," Jack said, earning him a soft punch in the stomach from Sam.

"Quiet! Sir."

"I found that the combination of L-DOPA and drugs that significantly raised Sam's endorphins had a notable effect on stopping the virus from blocking her neural pathways. In essence, the drugs blocked the virus before the virus could disrupt the chemical connections in her brain. That's why she spoke easier for a time after she received the treatments. However, the effects were short-lived, and she built up a resistance fairly quickly. That's why it wasn't a solution by itself.

"Then Daniel and I got to talking about herbal remedies, and I remember him saying something about how Pele might have had an antidote. All along I had assumed she would have synthesized an antiviral, since I assumed she created the virus in the first place."

"Perhaps she did not create this virus. Perhaps she contracted it somehow then decided to use it to her own advantage," Teal'c added.

"That's the conclusion I came to as well. There's a plant that grows on 642 that has immune boosting properties similar to echinacea." Janet walked over to a computer monitor and called up a picture of the plant.

"That stuff was growing all over the planet," Jack said.

"True, and one of its qualities is that it contains the phenols cichoric and caftaric acid-antibacterial and antiviral agents. However, when taken extensively, its healing powers soon become ineffective. It may have protected Pele for a while, but eventually she died of the disease as well. Probably slowly, as Sam was."

"Doctor, you say this plant wasn't a cure. Then how did it help Major Carter?" the general asked.

"It's the combination of treatments, sir. The L-DOPA and endorphins blocked the virus and the plant extract from 642 boosted her immune system so she could fight off the virus herself."

"Kind of a two-pronged attack," Jack said.

"Exactly." Janet said.

"Really? I was right?"

"Well, in a manner of speaking, sir. By themselves none of the treatments will do anything to stop the virus, especially after it's mutated. But the combination, united with the primary virus made an effective vaccine. It was more dumb luck than anything that we hit on the right mixture."

"Well, Doctor, dumb luck or not, you've pulled off another wonder. This wasn't a single effort and you should all be damn proud of your contributions."

Everyone's head seemed to duck simultaneously at the general's praise, and Sam knew how true his words were. If it hadn't been for the extraordinary efforts of her friends, she wouldn't be with them here today. How such a group of mis-matched people came together, she'd never understand, but she thanked whatever supreme being there was that they had. She would never question her place among them again.

~Epilogue~

Jack looked up at the knock on his office door. _*Right on time,*_ he thought, glancing at his watch, but then he expected nothing less from Sam Carter. She'd always been prompt, but there was something else about her now that he'd noticed. There was a humbleness that wasn't there before. Not that she was ever boastful-she was often self-depreciating when someone complimented her-it was more like she didn't get as carried away with her ideas as she did before. She was more open to other options and assistance. Where before she was single-minded, she now invited other opinions to help her solve a problem. It was nothing overt, but knowing her as he did, Jack noted the subtle difference, and he suspected Daniel and Teal'c did as well.

"Come in!" he called, realizing he'd left her standing in the corridor as he mused on her change.

"You asked to see me, sir?"

"Yeah. Seems I've got something you need."

"Sir?" she asked, eyes wide as she picked up on the innuendo as he intended.

"Your Power of Attorney," he said, handing her several sheets of paper. "I don't think you need me to handle your affairs any longer. Not that I actually had to do anything. Just like I told you, Carter. Fraiser found the cure."

"We all had a part in it," she said, looking down at the papers in her hand. "That reminds me. When Janet was explaining to us how she came up with her vaccine, she made some reference to help she'd gotten from you. I don't remember that you did any research."

Jack felt his face growing warm. He wasn't actually blushing, was he?

"Sir?"

"Um, well. . . . Ah, how much do your remember about when you were sick?"

"Certain things stand out," she said with a sly smile, leaving Jack wondering just what memories she was reliving at the moment.

"Do you remember us engaging in a certain activity?" He asked, purposely trying to be vague.

"Like chess?" she asked, taking a step forward.

"Um, no, it was a little more intimate than that."

"Monopoly, then."

"Ah, there were no boards involved." he said, swallowing. Sam's eyes were focused on his mouth and he couldn't tear his gaze from her face. Was she really going to kiss him? Right here in his office?

"No, what I remember was something more along the lines of this." She closed the distance between them, capturing his lips, conquering his mouth with her own. After a moment of shock, he found he was returning her kiss with equal enthusiasm. She pulled back, giving his lips one last peck before she stepped out of his arms. "Pretty much the way I remember it," she said. No doubt the smile on her face was in response to the blank expression on his own.

"And that look is pretty familiar as well," she chuckled.

"Ah, Carter? What was that?"

"That, _*Jack*_ was me telling you that you did _*not*_ take advantage of me. I might have been missing a few neural pathways that night, but I definitely knew what I was doing."

"You've been talking to Janet," he guessed. "You asked her how she knew about the endorphins." Sam simply nodded, surprisingly shy after her recent demonstration. "Look, we'll just pretend it never happened, okay? We'll go back to being CO and 2IC. Janet's the only one who knows, and I don't think she'll say anything."

"No, probably not," she agreed. "Is that what you want?" Sam's gaze stabbed him in the heart, making him feel nauseous. Of course it's not what he wanted! Surely she knew that? But what choice did they have?

"Sam," he sighed. "You know if there was any way. . . ."

"What if there was?"

"How?" he asked, his heart breaking at the thought he had to put her aside again.

"We'll keep it a secret."

Jack shook his head. "How long do you think we can do that? It's living a life of lies."

"Jack, we work in a secret installation. What in our lives _*is*_ public knowledge? For God's sake, you've been in Black Ops! You probably carry more sensitive information than any ten soldiers! You're going to tell me you can't keep something like this under wraps?"

"Well, when you put it like that," he said, letting the idea germinate. Why not? He wondered. She was right. If they could keep something as big as the Stargate secret, certainly a more intimate relationship would be a piece of cake. That is if she didn't give him a look like she was giving him now in the middle of a briefing.

"And the fact that we'd be breaching every regulation in the book doesn't bother you?" he asked.

"Yeah, it bothers me. It bothers me a lot. But if this experience has taught me anything it's that life is short, and I've put off what I've wanted for too long."

"Oh, don't start going all clichon me," he joked. "I might change my mind!"

"You agree then?" she asked hopefully. He tried to pull her into his arms but she backed away.

"Yeah, I agree! What do _*I*_ have to lose? You're the one who's got a future ahead of you."

"The future doesn't look very bright if you're not there." she still stood apart from him. "That's a yes, then?"

"Yes it's a yes! Do you want it in writing?"

Sam moved into his arms and gave him a quick kiss. "No, that would be evidence. As is this," she said, stepping away from him. She walked to the other side of his desk, standing at attention. The perfect soldier.

"So, Major. When do you propose we begin this mission?"

"Well, sir, I'm not sure. You see, I've had this headache and nothing seems to help it."

Jack couldn't help but smile at the serious look she'd put on her face. "Have you tried aspirin? Tylenol? Ibuprofen?"

"Yes, and nothing seems to work. I've heard some recent information about the amazing benefits from endorphins, however."

"Really?" He said, his eyebrows raising in mock surprise. "Going jogging then?"

"All the way to your house, sir." she said, a slight smile starting to crack her forced seriousness.

"18:00," he told her.

Sam nodded, reaching over to retrieve her papers. "I'll be there."

Jack watched her exit as he grabbed his jacket, checking for keys. Looking at his watch, he realized he had plenty of time to get home. And dispose of every pain reliever he had in the house.

~The End~


End file.
